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Board initiates rulemaking to expand hospital PIC discretion over technician tasks
Summary
The board voted to begin rulemaking to amend CCR §§17.93.7–17.93.8, giving hospital PICs more flexibility to set pharmacist‑to‑technician ratios and to identify nondiscretionary technician tasks for hospitals with clinical pharmacy programs; members asked staff to restore or clarify 'tech‑check‑tech' language to avoid unintended consequences.
The California State Board of Pharmacy voted to initiate rulemaking to amend CCR Title 16 sections 17.93.7 and 17.93.8 to provide hospital pharmacist‑in‑charge (PIC) greater flexibility to set pharmacist‑to‑technician ratios and to permit hospital PICs to determine additional nondiscretionary tasks technicians may perform in hospitals with clinical pharmacy programs.
Member Renee proposed initiating rulemaking for section 17.93.7 (inpatient ratio) and the motion passed after clarifying agenda slide numbering. For 17.93.8, Maria led an extended discussion and proposed edits: she asked that the draft preserve language requiring that patient orders be "previously reviewed and verified by a licensed pharmacist prior to being filled by the technician," strike duplicative language about filling unit‑dose systems, replace the term "inpatient care setting" with "patient care setting," and ensure that "tech‑check‑tech" programs are not unintentionally eliminated by labeling appropriate activities as discretionary. Staff and legal advised that nondiscretionary tasks are defined in statute and that a standalone subsection restoring tech‑check‑tech language could be added.
Maria moved to initiate rulemaking for 17.93.8 consistent with the board’s discussion and volunteered to work with the executive officer and staff to finalize language prior to notice; the motion passed. The board emphasized that the rulemaking process will allow technical edits and that specific safeguards for compounding, repackaging and pharmacist verification will be preserved.
