Pharmacy: clinics.

Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of pharmacy by the California State Board of Pharmacy and makes a knowing violation of its provisions a crime. Existing law authorizes a surgical clinic, as defined, to purchase drugs at wholesale for administration or dispensing, under the direction of a physician and surgeon, to patients registered for care at the surgical clinic. Existing law requires these surgical clinics to obtain a license from the board and to comply with various regulatory requirements, and requires a surgical clinic to maintain specified records. Existing law authorizes the board to inspect a surgical clinic at any time in order to determine whether a surgical clinic is operating in compliance with certain requirements. This bill would expand these provisions to additionally authorize an outpatient setting or an ambulatory surgical center, as specified, to purchase drugs at wholesale for administration or dispensing, subject to the requirements applicable to surgical clinics. The bill would delete the requirement that a clinic operating under these provisions be licensed by the California State Board of Pharmacy and would make that licensure optional. The bill would specify that the board is authorized to inspect only a clinic that is licensed by the board. Because a knowing violation of these requirements by outpatient settings and ambulatory surgical centers would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.