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, that is licensed by the board 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 prohibits a surgical clinic from operating without a license issued by the board. Existing law requires these surgical clinics to comply with various regulatory requirements and 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 surgical clinic be licensed by the board in order to operate. The bill would specify that the board is authorized to inspect only an outpatient setting, an ambulatory surgical care center, or a surgical clinic that is licensed by the board. Existing law requires every outpatient setting which is accredited to be inspected by the accreditation agency, as defined, and authorizes an outpatient setting to be inspected by the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires the accreditation agency to provide the outpatient setting with notice of any deficiencies and requires the outpatient setting to agree with the accreditation agency on a plan of correction. Existing law requires the accrediting agency to send a list of deficiencies and the corrective action to the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires the accreditation agency to report to the Medical Board of California if the outpatient setting has been issued a reprimand or if the outpatient setting's certification of accreditation has been suspended or revoked or if the outpatient setting has been placed on probation. Existing law makes a willful violation of those provisions governing outpatient settings a crime. This bill would additionally require the accrediting agency to send a list of deficiencies and the corrective action to the California State Board of Pharmacy if an outpatient setting is licensed to purchase drugs at wholesale for administration or dispensing, as described above. The bill would also require the accreditation agency to report to the California State Board of Pharmacy if an outpatient setting has been issued such a license and the outpatient setting has been issued a reprimand or if the outpatient setting's certification of accreditation has been suspended or revoked or if the outpatient setting has been placed on probation. Because a knowing violation of these requirements by outpatient settings and ambulatory surgical centers, and a willful violation of these requirements by accreditation agencies, 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.