AB 663: Pharmacy: mobile units.

Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, requires the California State Board of Pharmacy within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate the practice of pharmacy, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies. Existing law authorizes a county, city and county, or special hospital authority, as defined, to operate a mobile unit as an extension of a pharmacy license held by the county, city and county, or special hospital authority to provide prescription medication within its jurisdiction to specified individuals, including those individuals without fixed addresses. Existing law authorizes a mobile unit to dispense prescription medication pursuant to a valid prescription if the county, city and county, or special hospital authority meets prescribed requirements for licensure, staffing, and operations, including a prohibition on carrying or dispensing controlled substances.

Existing law, the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, classifies certain controlled substances into Schedules I to V, inclusive.

This bill would instead authorize a county, city and county, or special hospital authority to operate one or more mobile units as an extension of a pharmacy license held by the county, city and county, or special hospital authority, as described above. The bill would require the pharmacist-in-charge to determine the number of mobile units that are appropriate for a particular pharmacy license. The bill would additionally authorize a mobile unit to provide prescription medication within its jurisdiction to city-and-county-operated housing facilities.

This bill would exempt from the above-described prohibition on carrying or dispensing controlled substances Schedule III, Schedule IV, or Schedule V controlled substances approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid use disorder. The bill would require any controlled substance for the treatment of opioid use disorder carried or dispensed in accordance with that exemption to be carried in reasonable quantities based on prescription volume and stored securely in the mobile pharmacy unit.

Existing law requires a city, city and county, or special hospital authority, at least 30 days before commencing operation of a mobile unit, to notify the board of its intention to operate a mobile unit. Existing law further requires that the board be given notice at least 30 days before discontinuing operation of a mobile unit.

This bill would instead require a county, city and county, or special hospital authority to notify the board of its intention to operate a mobile unit as soon as possible, and no later than 5 business days after commencing operation of a mobile unit. The bill would also require a city, city and county, or special hospital authority to notify the board of its intention to discontinue operation of a mobile unit as soon as possible, and at least one business day before discontinuing operation of a mobile unit.