http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/publications/strategicplan_2005.pdf

Goals, Outcomes, Objectives, and Measures

Enforcement Committee

Goal 1: Exercise oversight on all pharmacy activities
Outcome: Improve consumer protection..

Objective 1.1:To achieve 100 percent closure or referral on all cases within 6 months by June 30, 2005:

Measure Percentage of cases closed or referred within 6 months

Tasks:
1. Mediate all consumer complaints within 90 days.
2. Investigate all other cases within 120 days.
3. Close (e.g. issue citation and fine, refer to the AG’s Office)
all board investigations and mediations within 180 days.
4. Seek legislation to grant authority to the executive officer to
issue a 30-day Cease and Decease Order to any boardlicensed
facility when the operations of the facility poses an
immediate threat to the public.
5. Integrate data obtained from computerized reports into drug
diversion prevention programs and investigations (CURES,
1782 reports, DEA 106 loss reports).
6. Re-establish the CURES workgroup that includes other
regulatory and law enforcement agencies to identify
potential controlled substance violations and coordinate
investigations.
7. Secure sufficient staffing for a complaint mediation team and
to support an 800 number for the public.
8. Improve public service of the Consumer Inquiry and
Complaint Unit.
9. Automate processes to ensure better operations and
integrate technology into the board’s investigative and
inspection activities.

Objective 1.2: To achieve 100 percent closure on all administrative cases within one year by June 30, 2005.

Measure: Percentage closure on administrative cases within 1 year
Tasks:
1. Pursue permanent funding to increase Attorney General
expenditures for the prosecution of board administrative
cases.
2. Aggressively manage cases, draft accusations and
stipulations and monitor AG billings and case costs.
3. Establish a disciplinary cause of action for fraud convictions
similar to current cash compromise provisions related to
controlled substances.
4. Automate processes to ensure better operations and
integrate technology into the board’s investigative and
inspection activities.
5. Review and update disciplinary guidelines.

Objective 1.3: Inspect 100 percent of all licensed facilities once every 3 years by June 30, 2004.

Measure: Percentage of licensed facilities inspected once every 3 years
Tasks:
1. Automate processes to ensure better operations and
integrate technology into the board’s investigative and
inspection activities.
2. Inspect licensed premises to educate licensees proactively
about legal requirements and practice standards to prevent
serious violations that could harm the public.
3. Seek legislation to mandate that periodic inspections be
done of all board-licensed facilities.

Objective 1.4: Develop 4 communication venues in addition to the inspection program to educate board licensees by June 30, 2005.

Measure: Number of communication venues (excluding inspection
program)
Tasks:
1. Develop the board’s website as the primary board-tolicensee
source of information.
2. Prepare two annual The Scripts to advise licensee of
pharmacy law and interpretations.
3. Update pharmacy self-assessment annually.
4. Develop board-sponsored continuing education programs
for pharmacists in the area of pharmacy law and the
expectations of the pharmacist-in-charge and coordinate
presentations at local and annual professional association
meetings throughout California.

Objective 1.5: To monitor alternative enforcement programs for 100 percent compliance with program requirements by June 30, 2005.

Measure: Percentage compliance with program requirements
Tasks:
1. Administer effective alternative enforcement programs to
ensure public protection (Pharmacists Recovery Program,
probation monitoring program, citation and fine program).
2. Automate processes to ensure better operations and
integrate technology into the board’s investigative and
inspection activities.

Objective 1.6: Respond to 95 percent of all public information requests within 10 days by June 30, 2005.

Measure: Percentage response to public information requests within 10
days
Tasks:
1. Activate public inquiry screens to expand public information.
Establish web look-up for disciplinary and administrative
(citation) actions.
2. Establish on-line address of record information on all board
licensees.
3. Respond to specialized information requests from other
agencies about board programs, licensees (e.g. subpoenas)
and Public Record Act requests.

Objective 1.7: Initiate policy review of 25 emerging enforcement issues by June 30, 2005

Measure: The number of issues
Tasks:
1. Reimportation.
2. Modification to the Quality Assurance Regulation Regarding
Patient Notification.
3. Proposals Regarding Wholesale Transactions.
4. Clarification Regarding Prescription Records by Authorized
Officers of the Law.
5. Review of Pharmacy Law Regarding the Delivery of
Medications After the Pharmacy is Closed and a Pharmacist
in not Present.
6. Off-Site Order Entry of Hospital Medication Orders (Bus. &
Prof. Code Section 4071.1).
7. Prescriber Dispensing.
8. Implementation of federal HIPAA Requirements.
9. Prohibition of Pharmacy-Related Signage.
10. Implementation of Enforcement Provisions from SB 361
(Sunset Review items).
11. Implementation of SB 151 (Elimination of the Triplicate).
12. Dispending Non-Dangerous Drugs/Devices Pursuant to a
Prescriber’s Order for Medi-Cal Reimbursement.
13. Authorized Activities in a Pharmacy.
14. Review of Quality Assurance Program.
15. Limited Distribution and Shortage of Medications.
16. Conversion of Paper Invoices to Electronic Billing.
17. Automated Dispensing.

Goal 2: Ensure the professional qualifications licensees.

Outcome: Qualified licensees

Objective 2.1:Issue licenses within three working days of a completed application by June 30, 2006.

Measures: Percentage of licenses issued within 3 work days
Tasks:
1. Review 100 percent of all applications within 7 workdays of
receipt.
2. Process 100 percent of all deficiency documents within 3
workdays of receipt.
3. Make a licensing decision within 3 workdays after all
deficiencies are corrected.
4. Issue professional and occupational licenses to those
individuals and firms that meet minimum requirements.
• Pharmacists
• Intern pharmacists
• Pharmacy technicians
• Foreign educated pharmacists (evaluations)
• Pharmacies
• Non-resident pharmacies
• Wholesaler drug facilities
• Veterinary food animal drug retailers
• Exemptees (the non-pharmacists who may operate sites
other than pharmacies)
• Out-of-state distributors
• Clinics
• Hypodermic needle and syringe distributors
5. Deny licenses to applicants not meeting board requirements.

Objective 2.2: Implement at least 50 changes to improve licensing decisions by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Number of implemented changes
Tasks:
1. Review Pharmacist Intern Program.
2. Implement changes to the Pharmacy Technician Program.
a. Use PTCB as a qualifying method for registration.
b. Eliminate clerk-typist from pharmacist supervisory
ratio.
c. Change education qualifications from A.A. degree in
health science to A.A. degree in Pharmacy
Technology.
3. Administer a pharmacist licensure exam more than twice a
year.
4. Assist applicants in preparing to take the California
pharmacist licensure examination by developing (or
fostering the development of) educational programs and
information on how to prepare for the pharmacist exam and
by requesting that outside agencies (schools of pharmacy
and private educational organizations) develop exam
workshops that prepare applicants for the California
Pharmacist Exam.
5. Develop statutory language to give the Board of Pharmacy
the authority to grant waivers for innovative, technological
and other practices to enhance the practice of pharmacy
and patient care that would have oversight by an
independent reviewing body during the study.
6. Continuously review and develop written exams to ensure
they fairly and effectively test the knowledge, skills and
abilities of importance to the practice of pharmacy in
California.
7. Implement the sterile compounding pharmacy licensing
requirements by July 1, 2003.
8. Issue temporary permits whenever change of ownership
occurs.
9. Establish means for licensee to renew permits on line.

Objective 2.3: Evaluate five emerging public policy initiatives affecting pharmacists’ care or public safety by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Number of public policy initiatives evaluated
Tasks:
1. Explore the need to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.
2. Explore the need to regulate drugs labeled for “veterinary
use only.”
3. Explore the importation of drugs from foreign countries.
4. Develop language and pursue a regulation change to allow
the central fill of medication orders for inpatient hospital
pharmacies

Objective 2.4:Cashier 100 percent of all application and renewal fees within two working days of receipt by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Percentage of cashiered application and renewal fees within 2
working days
Tasks: 1. Cashier application fees.
2. Cashier renewal fees
3. Secure online renewal of licenses

Objective 2.5: Respond to 95 percent of all requests for verification of licensing information within 5 working days by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Percentage response for verifying licensing information within
5 working days
Tasks: 1. Respond to requests for licensing verification

Objective 2.6: Update 100 percent of all information changes to licensing records within 5 working days by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Percentage of licensing records changes within 5 working
days
Tasks:
1. Make address and name changes.
2. Process discontinuance of businesses forms and related
components.
3. Process changes in pharmacist-in-charge and exemptee-incharge.
4. Process off-site storage applications.

Goal 3: Advocate legislation and promulgate regulations that advance the vision and
mission of the Board of Pharmacy.

Objective 3.1: Annually identify and respond with legislative changes to keep pharmacy laws current and consistent with the board’s
mission.

Measure: 100 percent successful enactment of promoted legislative
changes
Tasks:
1. Secure extension of board’s sunset date.
2. Sponsor legislation to strengthen and update licensing
requirements for pharmacy technicians.
3. Sponsor legislation to add enforcement options for noncompliance
issues.
4. Sponsor legislation to update pharmacy law to standardize
terminology regarding cancellation of licenses, waiving
pharmacy law requirements during declared emergencies.
5. Advocate the board’s role and its positions regarding
pharmacists’ care and dispensing of dangerous drugs and
devices.
6. Sponsor clean-up language to B & P Code section 4312.
7. Sponsor public meetings 4 times a year to solicit comments
on areas needing legislative changes.

Objective 3.2: Annually identify and respond with regulatory changes to keep pharmacy regulations current and consistent with the
board’s mission.

Measure: Percentage successful enactment of promoted regulatory
changes
Tasks:
1. Strengthen standards for compounding sterile injectable
drug products.
2. Authorize the executive officer the authority to issue
citations and fines.
3. Eliminate the clerk typist ratio.
4. Allow pharmacists to be pharmacist-in-charge of two
locations simultaneously.
5. Update pharmacy Self-Assessment document.
6. Allow central filling by hospital pharmacies.
7. Revise regulations concerning electronic prescribing to
conform to AB 2245, and require that the pharmacist
confirm the authenticity of any electronic prescription in
which there is an uncertainty or ambiguity.

Objective 3.3: Review 5 areas of pharmacy law for relevancy, currency and value for consumer protection by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Number of areas of pharmacy law reviewed
Tasks:
1. Evaluate electronic prescribing laws involving controlled
substances.
2. Evaluate the prescribing and dispensing of veterinary drugs.
3. Evaluate group dispensing by prescribers.

Outcome: Improve the health and safety of Californians.

Goal: 4: Provide relevant information to consumers and licensees.

Outcome: Improved consumer awareness and licensee
knowledge.

Objective 4.1: Develop 10 communication venues to the public by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Number of communication venues developed to the public
Tasks:
1. Convert Health Notes articles into consumer columns or fact
sheets for wide-dissemination to the public.
2. Develop and update public education materials.
3. Maintain a vigorous, informative Web site.
4. Sponsor “Hot Topics” seminars to the public.

Objective 4.2: Develop 10 communication venues to licensees by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Number of communication venues developed to licensees
Tasks:
1. Publish The Script two times annually.
2. Publish one Health Notes annually.
3. Develop board-sponsored continuing education programs in
pharmacy law and coordinate presentation at local and
annual professional association meetings throughout
California.
4. Maintain important and timely licensee information on Web
site.

Objective 4.3: Participate in 20 forums, conferences and public education events by June 30, 2006.

Measure: Number of forums participated
Tasks:
1. Participate in forums, conferences and educational fairs.

Objective 4.4:Respond to 100 percent of information requests from governmental agencies regarding board programs and
activities.

Tasks:
1. By June 1, 2004, submit report to Legislature on statutory
requirements for remedial education after four failed
attempts on the California pharmacist exam.
2. Provide information to legislators regarding board
implementation of statutory requirements.
3. Provide agency statistical data information to the
department.

Objective 4.5 Respond to 100 percent of public information requests regarding board programs and activities.

Measure: Percentage response to information requests from the public
Tasks:
1. Respond to public information requests.

Goal 5: Achieve the board’s mission and goals.

Outcome: An effective organization