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Committee reviews communication strategy; asks staff for visibility assessment, recall recap and social-media review
Summary
The committee reviewed strategic communication objectives and staff activities and requested staff to assess online visibility, consider a weekly recap for recall notices and report on self-assessment and outreach options.
Members of the California State Board of Pharmacy Communication and Public Education Committee spent significant time at their June 12, 2025 meeting reviewing the committee’s strategic objectives and staff communications activities, asking staff to assess the board’s public visibility, consider a weekly recap for recalls and report back on options for broader outreach.
Claudia Mercado, public member, asked staff to start with an inventory of where the board posts and how those accounts are managed: "we do represent 40 something million Californians, and I think it's our duty to really allow them to connect with us," she said, urging an assessment of active social channels and engagement metrics.
Members discussed recall notifications and alerts. Nicole Thiebaud, committee chair, and Renee Barker, licensee member, agreed that real-time distribution of safety and recall notices is important for patient protection, but Barker suggested a weekly recap would help licensees cross-check multiple alerts: "I'm not saying to stop the ones as they come in real time, but at the end of the week, could we get a recap...that just gives me, like, a peace of mind." Members asked staff to explore whether a weekly digest can be offered as an opt-in supplement to real-time alerts.
On the committee’s strategic objectives, staff reported the board’s Strategic Plan 2022–2026 includes eight goals and that the self-assessment tool is transitioning toward a new process. Thiebaud said the self-assessment is "under development" and that making the requirement statutory would provide more flexibility for implementation.
Sarah Jarens, public information officer, gave a staff report on outreach. Jarens said the board's Skip the Script newsletter was released in early May and that attachment materials list staff presentations to pharmacy schools and a log of media inquiries. On media responses, Jarens said the office replies to inquiries and that responses go through legal review and the executive officer: "A 100%, we always respond," Jarens said.
The committee also discussed a possible recognition program to spotlight pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and whether the board should expand channels such as LinkedIn or other social platforms. Some members expressed caution about expanding to platforms that could politicize the board’s messaging; others said broader outreach could raise public awareness of the board’s role. Staff noted the board has used donated billboard space in the past and will research results and options going forward.
Ending: Staff agreed to return with a feasibility assessment on (1) an inventory of active social channels and engagement metrics, (2) the option to provide a weekly recall digest in addition to real-time alerts, and (3) the status and technical options for the self-assessment tool. No formal policy or regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting.
