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Board extends emergency waiver authority to ease pharmacy staffing, remote work and delivery during Palisades fire response
Summary
The California Board of Pharmacy voted to delegate authority to the board president to extend and issue temporary waivers tied to the governor’s Jan. 7 emergency declaration for the Palisades fire, allowing expanded pharmacy‑technician ratios, remote order processing and alternate delivery locations through June 30, 2025, or until the declared
The California Board of Pharmacy on Feb. 6 adopted a motion delegating authority to the board president to extend and issue temporary waivers of selected pharmacy law provisions tied to the Jan. 7, 2025 state emergency declaration for the Palisades wildfires.
What the waivers cover The board had previously issued three waivers in response to the emergency; the motion empowers the president to extend those waivers and to issue others tied to the declared emergency through June 30, 2025, or until the end of the declared emergency — whichever is sooner. The three specific waivers already issued provide temporary flexibility in three areas: - Pharmacist‑to‑pharmacy‑technician ratios (allowing an additional supervised technician under specified conditions); - Remote processing and remote data‑entry by licensed personnel outside the licensed pharmacy; and - Delivery of drugs to alternate locations to serve displaced Californians.
Why the board acted Board staff and members said the waivers were necessary to maintain continuity of medication access when pharmacies, long‑term care facilities and patients are displaced, and when local staffing and supply chains are disrupted. Members representing long‑term care and institutional pharmacies said the waivers permit rapid redistribution of staff and operations across regions when facilities and staff are evacuated.
Board debate and amendment Members discussed whether waivers should be geographically limited to counties identified in the emergency proclamation or remain broad enough to support pharmacies and patients who move beyond impacted counties. Several members said broad temporary language was necessary because displaced Californians may relocate well beyond the counties specifically named in the proclamation; others urged clarity to reduce potential for non‑emergency misuse.
Vote and outcome The board recorded an affirmative vote; roll call recorded "yes" votes from all members present and the motion passed. The motion delegates authority to the board president to extend the current waivers and to issue new, emergency‑related waivers through June 30, 2025, or until the end of the declared emergency, whichever is sooner.
Public comment Representatives of long‑term‑care and pharmacy groups supported the extension and broad application of the waivers, saying that displaced facility residents are sometimes relocated to hotels or schools in other counties and need uninterrupted medication services.
Ending The board directed staff to implement the delegated authority and to monitor use; members asked staff to provide clarifying outreach to licensees and to return to the board if the operational scope needed further adjustment.
