[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6606386,"mediaKeyId","2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db","parentId",2965308,"title","Board records committee recommendations and votes on several pharmacy‑related bills during April meeting","audioSeconds",399,"startMs",10229000,"endMs",10628000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db&start=10229&end=10628","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db/thumbnail_10229000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6606386/California/Board-records-committee-recommendations-and-votes-on-several-pharmacyrelated-bills-during-April-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606386-294f81b539554d9e9b57cf89f1ba73e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192479&Signature=YHxc8GkVysGXkRDcJSjyDXtkARNn-VPQMqnJtqOov8E9wWyiRRLSf6situguevgymusEkgsV6csIwQ3dcBaZTRjgdetg--upMU6IFLB~Q5zslc~FG4E9FOTy1dhfpFmo-43U31DYszc4T8VKgngMPgfeE19vbBpOg054oPOCppg7YhqZhCNUW6Kowgj5sl3Z57TG5NaOD6wCUTXlXTiMBWtv3Sq-XwGKVX2sSFy3aBBVCu3AWIESw7HByo1kT20r9~fGltl3JMg5ZnS0c94JM2qK3OpTvjL7Ldmpn8vwFJ5-FzNm3BMbWekzTo1D2pu7TNfVUUgNdiNMgq9Qv0kXHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Respiratory Care Board of California","date","2025-04-11T22:03:39.23Z","article","The California State Board of Pharmacy’s Legislation and Regulation Committee summarized committee recommendations and the full board recorded votes on multiple bills during its April meeting. Committee chairs described each measure and the board took the committee’s recommendation as the formal motion.

Key outcomes recorded during the meeting (committee recommendation and board vote):

- AB 50 (pharmacist furnishing of over‑the‑counter contraception without standardized prescription procedures; allow up to a 12‑month supply): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure (roll‑call confirmation recorded). Chair Jesse Crowley noted the committee recorded public comment in favor and the board approved the support position.

- AB 447 (allowing emergency‑department dispensing of an unused portion of a dangerous drug under specified conditions; ADDS licensing exemption discussion): Committee recommended to watch pending amendments to clarify “unused portion” and labeling requirements; board took a watch position (no support/oppose recorded).

- AB 529 (extension of certain emergency waiver authorities after a declared emergency): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure.

- AB 667 (language access for examinations / interpreters): Committee recommended watch (amendments may move the measure outside the Board’s jurisdiction); board took a watch position.

- AB 669 (minimum days of inpatient or intensive substance use disorder treatment and prior‑authorization prohibition): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure.

- AB 957 (ban on sale of tobacco products in pharmacies/buildings containing a pharmacy): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure. Public comment noted some sponsors seek building‑wide restrictions when a pharmacy is located inside a store.

- AB 1037 (remove sunset for pharmacists furnishing syringes/needles): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure.

- AB 1460 (prohibiting certain discriminatory manufacturer practices affecting covered entities and 340B programs): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure. Committee discussion noted concerns about actions that would restrict 340B programs and the downstream effect on safety‑net providers.

- AB 1503 (board sunset and title change from Advanced Practice Pharmacist to Advanced Pharmacist Practitioner): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the sunset bill and the title change was noted as part of the sunset package.

- SB 41 (PBM regulation): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure. Committee discussion emphasized transparency concerns about pharmacy benefit managers and urged the board to communicate its position to the legislature.

- SB 470 (permanent teleconferencing flexibilities under Bagley‑Keene): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure.

- SB 497 (protections for release of information related to gender‑affirming care): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure.

- SB 548 (state advisory group and plan to reduce substance‑use deaths): Committee recommended support and suggested pharmacist representation should be included on the advisory group; board voted to support the measure.

- SB 641 (board waiver authority during declared emergencies; email maintenance requirement): Committee recommended support; board voted to support the measure.

How the board acted: for most bills the committee’s recommendation was adopted by the full board with roll‑call recorded votes. When a motion required only a “watch” the committee recommended monitoring the measure through policy committee hearings rather than taking a formal support or oppose position.

Public comment: multiple presenters from CPHA, hospital systems, and pharmacist organizations spoke in support of measures addressing 340B protections, PBM regulation, medication access, and pharmacist scope expansion. Several commenters urged including pharmacists on advisory bodies created by new bills.

The board’s next committee meeting is scheduled in June; several measures will be monitored further as the legislative cycle advances. The board noted it will follow amended bills and review any legislative text changes before taking new or updated positions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","California Board of Pharmacy Meeting - April 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board’s Legislation and Regulation Committee presented recommendations and the full board voted to adopt positions on multiple bills under consideration in the California Legislature; several received board support, others were set to watch.","taxTitle","Respiratory Care Board of California, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",76751,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6606391,"California Hospital Association outlines strained hospital landscape, urges board to separate hospital practice issues",4227,2579000,6806000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db&start=2579&end=6806","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db/thumbnail_2579000.jpg","/articles/6606391/California/California-Hospital-Association-outlines-strained-hospital-landscape-urges-board-to-separate-hospital-practice-issues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606391-cfb1c96ccda2e91bcff1cadfe67d7e82/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192479&Signature=GkZAgxuw-uS3vpb0YiW-GfbVMYVZCyAnZJ598X6rmg5dz7fZ1cZkEFlvthrsAh3ZUTRfLd6Wnolj1gJ1L1KPo1YlmW08NxAYzid9OR8vPAE9sStiTlrBQ8NsH1sPL4GxkqCmPrUaVHzPyiRH6mlg4f3TUlIhl0FhsjJ~8klmtlsF0kRaf2PhxOmh~K9dR7Pz3fh47VSMgsW-55mrkrXjrBcvIP13GJRpwlcPAMVTSPzBVc87CYbgpt9R8fLfNMjfOSnqSBPvXOhYi7EhFl46Iy7ITT~nrH8D27aiNk08EHUjPmKnrhnZZAD830p0VNZ1ETTZmI6dd0RJRVnN~PRKvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The California Hospital Association (CHA) presented a wide‑ranging overview of hospital operations and urged the California State Board of Pharmacy to treat hospital pharmacy practice as distinct from retail practice and to create a hospital pharmacy advisory track.

Sherry Lowe, CHA vice president for policy, told the board that hospitals are under sustained operational strain. “If you’ve seen 1 hospital, you’ve seen 1 hospital,” Lowe said, arguing that hospitals vary widely but share common pressures: high occupancy, much higher acuity, workforce shortages and rising contract‑labor costs. She described emergency departments filled with patients awaiting discharge placements and warned that delayed hospital throughput is affecting ambulance response and community care.

Lowe identified new financial and regulatory headwinds: rising labor costs (wages up roughly 35 percent over five years, she said), a county and state health‑affordability initiative (the Office of Healthcare Affordability, OCA) setting sector spending targets and a 2030 seismic retrofit requirement for hospitals estimated to cost the sector many billions of dollars.

CHA asked the board to “bifurcate” data and enforcement reporting so hospital pharmacies are considered separately from retail pharmacies in inspections, reporting and guidance, and to consider forming a hospital pharmacy committee that would advise the board on hospital‑specific practices and inspection protocols. The CHA also asked the board to involve hospital clinical pharmacists in policy development and to tailor rules to account for distinct hospital workflows — including clinical decision support built into hospital electronic health records and interdisciplinary rounds.

Board members welcomed the briefing and asked clarifying questions about OCA spending targets, the impacts of rising staffing costs and hospital workforce pressures. Board member Maria Serpa urged the board to ensure the oversight committees and public materials reflect hospital contexts, noting that certain specialty costs (for example, high‑cost pediatric drugs) and hospital capital needs do not translate easily into flat affordability targets.

The CHA presentation position paper and public comments underscored the point that a “one‑size‑fits‑all” regulatory approach can create operational and safety risks if inspection and reporting do not account for hospital‑specific procedures. Lowe closed by offering CHA’s pharmacy working group and the association’s regional staff as resources for future board work. The board did not vote on rules or establish a committee at the meeting but indicated interest in more detailed discussion at future meetings.","The California Hospital Association told the board that hospitals face high occupancy, workforce costs, seismic retrofit mandates and a new Office of Healthcare Affordability, and asked the board to treat hospital pharmacy practice as distinct from retail pharmacy.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6606396,"Board hears call to extend California law so pharmacists review discharge medications for high‑risk patients",1394,378000,1772000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db&start=378&end=1772","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965308-74227906da729750838540816fdda7db/thumbnail_378000.jpg","/articles/6606396/California/Board-hears-call-to-extend-California-law-so-pharmacists-review-discharge-medications-for-highrisk-patients","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6606396-304431dfc774068c6c25ee3294c85623/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192479&Signature=am155gixHVq1kBdbEvcOdTNIdTda5WHQzHYr9chopDg~FODUtomUg49t76zIhHBtIirNW2X-w-Uy~wDXwmQQ5JEmzTW058HhFwubLEenXzESi3evl1PCdVUi9oYgYhFUhQkCO690MyNSB6u-Vfs0w5Q93-0MNwLK945DWxyaVIYThgeXRBk~4rAFTaprYULgOmNHx8P0hGet3E8aV3VShFg46s9PDAIJ2yQMJEbUZcmy0nQwIk8kNluAjdiH8KjvChL0QQaVne1KfHZ9XnTgYsjcAIFXLLKE2gc8h7OHH1trPmPPyFtyKXjjVAPqxoWiQwms-sShG3UlQHb8N~o61g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The California State Board of Pharmacy on April heard a presentation and widespread public comment calling for the state to require pharmacist review of discharge medication lists for high‑risk patients.

The request, made by Dr. Rita Shane, summarized years of quality‑improvement work and a multicenter study showing that medication‑list errors are common and sometimes life threatening. “I call this the med rec journey,” Dr. Shane said, describing how admission errors can be propagated through a hospital stay and then carried home at discharge. She noted California’s existing law (a pharmacist‑led admission medication‑history requirement enacted as SB 1254) and asked the board and legislators to consider adding a discharge requirement.

Supporters said the change would prevent avoidable harm. The board’s president, Sang Oh, reminded the public: “The board is a consumer protection agency charged with administering and enforcing pharmacy law.” Board members and public commenters from hospitals and pharmacy organizations described frequent discharge problems and endorsed expanding pharmacists’ role at discharge. “When the public doesn’t have systems to ease that transition from discharge to community care settings, we see harm,” Larissa Bethashue of the California Public Health Association told the board.

Dr. Shane reviewed a multicenter quality improvement study conducted at 11 hospitals that analyzed roughly 2,300 medication histories and found errors in 94 percent of med histories and potentially serious or life‑threatening errors in 54 percent of high‑risk patients. In a separate six‑week study of discharge medication reviews across four hospitals, pharmacists identified more than 400 errors (about one error per patient) and classified many as serious or life threatening.

Board members and community pharmacists used the discussion to press on implementation details: how hospitals could prioritize high‑risk patients, how community pharmacists could be looped into the process and how smaller hospitals could staff new duties. “I would love to see work next on that next step, going from a hospital to the community pharmacy,” said board member Nicole Thiebaud, describing barriers community pharmacists face when they try to clarify inpatient orders.

Multiple public commenters — including pharmacy leaders from Sutter Health, Cedars‑Sinai and the California Society of Health‑System Pharmacists — urged legislative action and pointed to readmission and patient‑safety benefits. “We prevent about 61 percent of adverse drug events,” Dr. Shane said of pharmacist discharge review programs, citing published and internal data.

The board did not take regulatory or legislative action at the meeting. Several members encouraged Dr. Shane and other advocates to work with the board’s staff and the legislature during the current sunset and rulemaking processes; board leaders indicated they would accept technical guidance as advocates prepare statutory language and answers for sunset oversight. The conversation concluded with board members offering to continue the discussion at committees and to share input with legislative staff.

The presentation and public comment highlight an ongoing policy choice for California: whether to expand an existing pharmacist requirement tied to admissions to also require discharge medication reconciliation or review for defined high‑risk populations. The board and practitioners signaled agreement on the safety rationale; they left open the practical questions about staffing, funding and the precise statutory language needed to implement a discharge requirement.

Dr. Shane and several hospital and system pharmacists stayed after the meeting to speak further with board members and staff about study data and next steps.","At its April meeting the California State Board of Pharmacy heard a presentation and public comment urging the board and state lawmakers to extend an existing law that requires pharmacist‑led medication histories on hospital admission to also cover medication review at discharge for high‑risk patients.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board records committee recommendations and votes on several pharmacy‑related bills during April meeting

California Hospital Association outlines strained hospital landscape, urges board to separate hospital practice issues

Board hears call to extend California law so pharmacists review discharge medications for high‑risk patients