California Board of Pharmacy panel hears petition to end pharmacist Bruce Uch’s probation; no decision made

SACRAMENTO — The Board of Pharmacy’s Disciplinary Petition Committee on May 21 heard testimony and documentary evidence in a petition by pharmacist Bunnan (Bruce) Uch asking for early termination of his five‑year probation, but the committee made no oral decision. An administrative law judge closed the hearing record and the case was submitted for written decision.

The petition concerns a 2020 accusation that alleged extensive regulatory failures at pharmacies linked to Uch, including falsified dispensing records, failures to label or retain prescriptions, unsecured controlled‑substance ordering and unexplained inventory shortages. Deputy Attorney General Christina Jarvis, who presented the petition packet to the committee, described the allegations as broad and said they “defy easy characterization.”

Why it matters: if granted, early termination would remove several probationary restrictions on Uch’s pharmacist license (RPH48460). The accusation and settlement stem from conduct the board described as involving multiple pharmacies and large inventory discrepancies for controlled and dangerous drugs — matters that go to public safety and pharmacy‑practice compliance.

At the hearing, the Office of Administrative Hearings’ assigned judge, Wim Van Rooyen, accepted a petition packet as exhibit 1 and placed several pages of sensitive mental‑health material under seal. Jarvis summarized causes for discipline that the accusation lists, including alleged shortages and overages of controlled and dangerous drugs, alleged use of Uch’s DEA controlled‑substance ordering credentials by others, and alleged hidden or inconsistent ownership ties among several pharmacies referenced in the case.

The accusation, filed Oct. 12, 2020, and summarized at the hearing, alleges among other items: an unexplained loss of “at least 11 drugs” including 268,628 milliliters of promethazine; discrepancies in aripiprazole (Abilify) counts — for example, the accusation states the pharmacy dispensed 1,303 tablets of aripiprazole 10 mg and 1,290 tablets of aripiprazole 15 mg more than were purchased and that other aripiprazole quantities were missing; and multiple undocumented transfers of dangerous drugs among Anchor Pharmacy, Bruce Pharmacy and Downtown Stockton Pharmacy. Jarvis characterized these facts as consistent with billing or inventory fraudallegations and urged the committee to review the full accusation and exhibits.

Uch, who testified under oath, read a prepared statement in which he accepted responsibility for the events that gave rise to his probation and described steps he said he has taken while on probation. Uch said he has completed required remedial training and continuing education (50 hours documented from Dec. 2022–Feb. 2025), completed an ethics course ordered as a probation term, provided ten verifiable letters of recommendation and maintained quarterly probation reports. He told the panel, “I accept responsibility for the conduct that led to the accusation,” and said he now works as a staff pharmacist in Yuba City and does not intend to own a pharmacy again.

Jarvis told the panel she was impressed by Uch’s petition and presentation but stated in closing that “based on the causes for discipline set forth in the accusation, quite frankly, petitioner seems too dangerous to be allowed even on probation,” then said she would defer to the committee’s expertise. Uch’s supporters also testified. Pharmacist Ali Tran said, “He is a good pharmacist. He is a caring pharmacist,” and added, “In my honest opinion, he is no threat to the public.” Sotea Oung, a Stockton community nonprofit leader, described Uch’s language skills and community ties and urged the committee to consider the impact on local patients who rely on Khmer‑language services.

The committee discussed probation compliance details in the record. Board staff told the panel that Uch entered into a stipulated settlement that became effective July 14, 2021, and that his probation is currently set to expire Sept. 7, 2026; staff reported $875 in remaining board costs outstanding and that Uch was jointly and severally liable with another respondent for $35,000 in board costs, of which Uch has paid approximately $33,000. Uch provided a proposed payment plan showing a $500 final payment due June 20, 2025.

No final ruling was announced at the hearing. The administrative law judge closed the record, stated the matter was submitted for decision, and told Uch he would receive a written decision by mail at a later date. The committee also issued a protective order sealing specified pages of the petition packet containing mental‑health progress notes and a photograph.

The proceeding focused on whether the committee should shorten the remaining probation term based on the documentary record and testimony about rehabilitation and remediation; it did not include a formal vote or an oral determination at the hearing. Any written decision issued later will specify the committee’s findings and any changes to Uch’s probation terms.