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STATE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
DATE: June 21, 2011
TO: The Public and Pharmacy Board licensees, registrants, and applicants
FROM: Cody Wiberg, Pharm.D., M.S., R.Ph.
Executive Director
RE: POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN OF STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES
By this memo I am informing licensees, registrants, applicants and the public that the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy may be closed as of July 1, 2011, due to a government shutdown. As you may know, the Minnesota State Legislature adjourned May 23, 2011, without appropriating money to fund the operations of state government for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011.
The Board operates on a biennial budget. Funds are appropriated by the Legislature every two years, with each fiscal year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 of the following calendar year. Our current biennial budget is due to end on June 30, 2011. In the absence of legislation appropriating funds for the continued operations of the Board during the next biennium, we will have no authority to expend funds after June 30, 2011.
Since we do not know whether the biennial budget process will conclude in time to avoid disruption of our operations, we must advise all members of the public that, in the absence of an appropriation, all services provided by the Board must be suspended as of July 1, 2011.
In the event of a government shutdown, the office of the Board of Pharmacy will not be open and staff will not be on duty. The Board will not issue licenses or registrations to new applicants, nor renew any existing licenses or registrations. The Board’s Web site, telephone system and e-mail server will not be operational. The Board will suspend complaint investigations, disciplinary activities, variance processing and inspections of licensed facilities. The Prescription Monitoring Program, which is partially administered for the Board by a vendor, may also be shut down.
Board staff will try to keep the public informed of progress regarding this issue, and will provide notice as soon as possible when budgets are approved and Board services can be resumed. However, I suggest that you also monitor the State’s main Web site, www.state.mn.us, and the media for further information.
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Minnesota Board of PharmacyAlthough it is not mentioned in this memo, Board staff will also not be able to place any posts on this Facebook page in the event of a shutdown – except for a post that informs the public that the shut down is over and that the Board offices will reopen.21 June at 10:29 · Like -
Jeff BraaflatIf a new Pharmacist takes the boards next week, will they be able to get registered?22 June at 21:34 · Like -
Minnesota Board of Pharmacy@Jeff – sorry, but if there is a state shutdown, anyone who takes the Boards next week (or even after today) is unlikely to be licensed before July 1st. It can take five to seven days for the Board to be notified by NABP of the exam scores. That alone means that the Board would probably not even receive the scores before the shutdown. The scores need to be entered into our licensing database so that a pass (or fail) letter can be generated and mailed. Assuming both exams were passed, the applicant then needs to pay their $105 original license fee plus the $10.50 OET e-licensing surcharge. The best hope is that a budget agreement is reached so that a shutdown can be avoided altogether.
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