Assembly committee advances suite of bills on pharmacy sales, emergency medications, licensure access and workforce mobility

The Assembly Business and Professions Committee advanced a package of bills Tuesday touching public health, patient access to medications, professional licensing and workforce mobility.

Among the measures the committee moved forward were AB 957, which would bar the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies; AB 447, which would allow certain hospital-dispensed medications to leave the emergency department with patients; AB 427, which would adopt the social work licensure compact; AB 667, which would permit interpreters for certain licensing exams; AB 873, which relaxes timing for an eight‑hour infection‑control course for unlicensed dental assistants; AB 360, a directive to evaluate medical training on menopause; AB 742, which would create priority review for descendants of enslaved people seeking licenses; and AB 1175, which would revise CPA education and mobility rules.

Supporters emphasized consumer protection and access to care, while opponents raised constitutional, worker‑safety and workforce‑displacement concerns.

Assemblymember Ortega, the author of AB 957, told the committee AB 957 “is a vital and logical step forward in California's ongoing commitment to combat the devastating impact of tobacco use,” adding that “pharmacies hold a unique and trusted position within our health care system” and selling tobacco there “directly contradicts the core mission and the pharmacy's oath to do no harm.” Timothy Gibbs of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, a cosponsor, cited studies and a 2023 California poll showing broad public support for banning tobacco sales in pharmacies.

Independent and chain pharmacists who testified in support, including Sonia Frosto, who identified herself as a pharmacy owner in Sacramento, said selling tobacco products in pharmacies conflicts with efforts to promote health. “It’s counterintuitive for me to be able to offer smoking products ... while I'm also trying to make sure that all of my patients are healthy,” Frosto said.

On AB 447, Assemblymember…