Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pharmacy Access Vaccines Quotas topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pharmacy groups ask Board of Pharmacy to clarify vaccine liability and quota rules after closures
Summary
During public comment at the Sept. 11 California State Board of Pharmacy meeting, the California Pharmacists Association urged the board to help close a liability gap for pharmacists administering vaccines and to work with state agencies and wholesalers on quota adjustments after mass pharmacy closures.
At the California State Board of Pharmacy meeting Sept. 11, the California Pharmacists Association asked the board to acknowledge a liability gap that could leave pharmacy staff exposed when administering vaccines outside of a specific advisory committee recommendation and urged action on controlled-substance quota problems tied to mass pharmacy closures.
Sean Kim, speaking for the California Pharmacists Association, told the board that state law limits liability protections when vaccines are given in line with a Clinical Immunization Practice (CIP) recommendation. He said that when pharmacists follow other evidence-based guidance — for example from the California Department of Public Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — those protections “may not apply” while current statutory gaps persist. Kim said legislation on the issue is on the floor, citing “AB1503” and “AB144 / SB144 (budget trailer bill)” as matters being considered at the Legislature.
Kim also described operational strain after recent closures of hundreds of Rite Aid stores in California. He said displaced patients have increased controlled-substance fills at nearby community pharmacies and that there is “no clear patient-transfer system” or an efficient process to request quota adjustments from wholesalers or regulators. He asked the board to collaborate with CPHA, the Department of Health Care Services and wholesalers to create a transparent, expedited quota-adjustment process and temporary enforcement discretion for pharmacies making “good faith” efforts to meet higher patient demand.
Board members acknowledged the concerns. Board President Seung Oh said staff have been working to preserve pharmacy vaccine access and to provide guidance to licensees. Board members also said the board will continue to agendize follow-up discussions and noted that detailed policy work and coordination with other agencies would be necessary.
The board did not take action during the meeting; public comment was recorded and will be available to board staff for follow-up work and future agenda items.
