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Administrative History

The Board of Pharmacy was created in 1891 by the passage of SB84 to "regulate the practice of pharmacy and sale of poisons in the State of California." The Board was originally comprised of seven governor-appointed pharmacists, each from a different area of the state ( Statutes of 1891, Chapter 85). In 1929, the Board of Pharmacy was placed under the Department of Professional and Vocation Standards with the department overseeing the Board's administrative and fiscal affairs. ( Statutes of 1929, Chapter 290). The department was restructured and renamed the Department of Consumer Affairs by the Governors Reorganization Plan No.2 of 1970. The Board currently consists of thirteen members - seven pharmacists and six public members. The seven pharmacists are appointed by the governor and are required to reside in different regions of the state. Four of the public members are also appointed by the governor and the remaining two are appointed by the Assembly Speaker and the Senate Rules Committee, each appointing one.

From its earliest period, the Board was responsible for regulating the handling and distribution of dangerous and restricted drugs, devices, poisons, hypodermics, and prophylactics. They did so by licensing and regulating individuals and facilities engaged in handling such articles - pharmacists, pharmacist assistants and pharmacies within the state. The field of pharmacy has expanded significantly since 1891 and with it, so has the Board's jurisdiction. The Board of Pharmacy now regulates numerous other pharmaceutical related practitioners and facilities in addition to those mentioned above; examples include interns, exemptees (non-licensed persons involved with the wholesalers manufacturers of drugs and medical devices), hospitals, clinics, in-home and community support centers, as well as out-of-state order pharmacies that send filled prescriptions to California. As of 2009, the Board licenses over 100,000 individuals and firms.

In addition to licensing, the Board is responsible for routinely inspecting licensed pharmaceutical facilities and investigating complaints made against any pharmaceutical practitioners or facilities. If a violation is found, the Board has the authority to take disciplinary action; this may include revocation of a license or permit, fines, probation, continuing education classes or a simple warning. The Board also maintains an approved list of accredited schools and colleges of pharmacy and continuing education courses. Because the Board is able to control the quality of academic and training standards in pharmacy education through accreditation, they are able to control the quality of the skills of those entering the pharmacy practice. A pharmacy degree is required for admittance to the pharmacy exam (which the Board creates and administers) and continuing education is required for the renewal of licenses.