Pharmacy.

(1) Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, the violation of which is a crime, provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacies, pharmacists, intern pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians by the California State Board of Pharmacy. The Pharmacy Law authorizes an intern pharmacist to perform all functions of a pharmacist, and authorizes a pharmacy technician to perform packaging, manipulative, repetitive, or other nondiscretionary tasks, in each case under supervision of a pharmacist, as specified. This bill would authorize a pharmacy technician to perform packaging, manipulative, repetitive, or other nondiscretionary tasks only while assisting and while under the direct supervision and control of a pharmacist, as specified. This bill would also authorize a pharmacy technician's duties in a licensed general acute care hospital to include, among other things, sealing emergency containers for use in the hospital. (2) Existing law authorizes a pharmacy to furnish a dangerous drug or dangerous device to a licensed health care facility for storage in a secured emergency pharmaceutical supplies container maintained within the facility in accordance with facility regulations of the State Department of Public Health and other existing law requirements, as specified. This bill would authorize an intern pharmacist, under the direct supervision and control of a pharmacist, to stock, replenish, and inspect the drugs maintained in the emergency pharmaceutical supplies container and the emergency medical system supplies of a licensed general acute care hospital, as defined. This bill would authorize an intern pharmacist to inspect the drugs maintained in a licensed general acute care hospital at least once per month pursuant to policies and procedures of the hospital. This bill would also authorize a hospital pharmacy serving a licensed general acute care hospital to furnish a dangerous drug or dangerous device pursuant to preprinted or electronic standing orders, order sets, and protocols of the hospital, as specified. This bill would require licensed general acute care hospitals to store and maintain drugs in accordance with national standards regarding the storage area and refrigerator or freezer temperature and in accordance with the manufacturers' guidelines. Because a violation of certain provisions of the bill would be a crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law authorizes a pharmacist to initiate or adjust the drug regimen of a patient under specified circumstances. Existing law authorizes specified practitioners, including a pharmacist acting within the scope of an authorized pilot project, to prescribe, furnish, or administer controlled substances to a patient suffering from a disease, ailment, injury, or infirmity, but only when in good faith he or she believes the disease, ailment, injury, or infirmity requires the treatment, and only in the quantity and for the length of time as reasonably necessary. This bill would modify that list of practitioners to include a pharmacist initiating or adjusting the drug regimen of a patient as authorized under existing law. (4) Existing law provides for the licensure and inspection of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health and makes a violation of those provisions a crime. Existing regulations require a hospital to have a pharmacy on the premises or a pharmacy license, as specified. Existing regulations also require the hospital to consult the pharmacist on the proper methods of, among other things, repackaging and labeling bulk cleaning agents. This bill would instead require a licensed general acute care hospital or an acute psychiatric hospital, as defined, to adopt policies and procedures regarding the responsibility for ensuring proper methods of repackaging and labeling of bulk cleaning agents, solvents, chemicals, and nondrug hazardous substances used throughout the hospital and would specify that the hospital is not required to consult a pharmacist regarding the repackaging and labeling of those substances except for areas where sterile compounding is performed. Because a violation of these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) 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.