Pharmacy technicians: supervision.

The Pharmacy Law provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. That law authorizes 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. That law prohibits a pharmacy with only one pharmacist from having more than one pharmacy technician performing those tasks and prohibits the ratio of pharmacy technicians performing those tasks to any additional pharmacist from exceeding 2 to 1, except as specified. This bill would, with certain exceptions, allow an employer and one or more labor organizations representing employees who are pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, or a combination thereof in an employer's pharmacy to enter into a bona fide collective bargaining agreement providing a ratio of up to 3 to 1 pharmacy technicians per pharmacist, regardless of whether the pharmacy has only one pharmacist or more than one pharmacist, if the employer meets certain requirements, including demonstrating to the board that the employer will, among other things, ensure that each pharmacy technician receives in-service training before the pharmacy technician assumes the pharmacy technician's duties and responsibilities.