BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2131
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 30, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 2131 (Morrell) - As Amended:  April 2, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              Business and  
          Professions  Vote:                            14-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill expands disciplinary options for the Board of Pharmacy  
          (BOP) by permitting the Board to issue a pharmacist or pharmacy  
          technician license concurrently with a public letter of  
          reprimand for those applicants who have committed minor  
          violations that BOP deems not to merit a license denial or  
          probationary license.

          It also establishes a process by which individuals can challenge  
          the findings of a letter via an informal proceeding, requires  
          the letter to be posted on the BOP's web site, and requires the  
          letter to be purged three years from the issue date if no  
          further disciplinary action is initiated by then.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor, absorbable costs to BOP. BOP estimates that if this bill  
          passes, this option will likely be used less than a dozen times  
          per year.  Of these cases, some may be challenged and require an  
          informal proceeding.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . This bill would allow BOP to issue a pharmacist or  
          pharmacy technician license and concurrently issue a public  
          letter of reprimand for cases in which there have been  
          violations not significant enough to warrant a license denial.    
          This step would allow the BOP to put the licensee, and potential  
          employers, on notice that there was a question about the  
          licensee's qualifications, while still permitting an otherwise  
          qualified applicant to practice.  The letter would remain public  








                                                                  AB 2131
                                                                  Page  2

          for three years and be expunged if there were no interim  
          disciplinary actions.  This bill is sponsored by BOP. 

          According to the BOP, a letter of reprimand will protect the  
          public and provide notice to an employer of facts and violations  
          about a new licensee. It would also allow the board to document  
          a licensee's history regarding an event that may have happened  
          many years ago, when considering a disciplinary action for  
          misconduct during the first three years of licensure.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081