The Board of Pharmacy posted the following:  

• Licensing Committee – October 15 agenda and meeting materials  

• Enforcement & Compounding Committee – October 16 agenda  

Also in California, the Department of Health Care Service posted the following on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal: 

• Medi-Cal Coverage of Vaccines 

• Now Active: COB Billing Process Updates for Beneficiaries in Long Term Care Facilities 

• Mass Adjustment for Vaccines For Children Reimbursement for Impacted Claims with a Date of Service January 1, 2023, through May 16, 2025 

• Mass Adjustment for Mpox Vaccine Reimbursement for Impacted Claims with a Date of Service January 1, 2024, through June 6, 2025 

Also in California, the Board of Pharmacy issued a Notice of Third Modified Text – Discontinuance of Business – Updated. The Board of Pharmacy has proposed additional modifications to Title 16 CCR § 1708.2, related to the Discontinuance of Business. 

• Notice of Third Modified Text 

• Third Modified Text 

Any person who wishes to comment on the proposed modifications may do so by submitting written comments beginning on October 6 and ending on October 22 to the following:  

Contact Person: Debbie Damoth 

Agency Name: California State Board of Pharmacy 

Address: 2720 Gateway Oaks Drive, Ste. 100, Sacramento, CA 95833 

Email: PharmacyRulemaking@dca.ca.gov 

Fax: 916-574-8618 

Please be advised the additional changes made to Title 16 CCR § 1708.2 reflect nonsubstantive changes with the exception of changes made to Title 16 CCR § 1708.2(b)(4). As a result, comments submitted should pertain only to the additional changes made to Title 16 CCR § 1708.2(b)(4). Any responses to comments directly concerning the proposed modifications to the text of the regulations will be considered and responded to in the Final Statement of Reasons. 

Finally in California, the Board of Pharmacy posted this "Vaccine Alert". 

Updated information on pharmacist authority to administer vaccines 

The Board wishes to advise licensees about important upcoming changes to pharmacist authority related to vaccine administration enacted by Assembly Bill 1503 (Berman, Chapter 196, Statutes of 2025). AB 1503 was recently signed by Governor Newsom and will take effect on January 1, 2026. Under the provisions established in AB 1503, pharmacist authority to independently initiate and administer vaccines for persons three years of age and older will transition to a standard of care practice model. Such an approach is consistent with other health care practitioners with similar practice authority.  

In anticipation of this change, the Board strongly encourages pharmacists to begin the transition to a standard of care practice model for immunizations for patients three years old and older. The Board intends to use enforcement discretion during this intervening period. 

The Board also reminds pharmacists that Business and Professions Code section 4052(a)(11) currently provides a pharmacist with the authority to administer immunizations to any person, regardless of age, pursuant to a protocol with a prescriber. This current authority will exist until January 1, 2026, when AB 1503 takes effect. 

Note that while AB 1503 repeals current subdivision (a)(11) of section 4052, it also adds new subdivision (a)(12), which, effective as of January 1, 2026, provides general authority for a pharmacist to initiate, adjust, or discontinue drug therapy for a patient (which includes vaccine administration) under either (1) a collaborative practice agreement, or (2) under specified conditions, an order or authorization made by the patient's prescriber. (See Stats. 2025, Ch. 196, Sec. 13 (AB 1503), effective January 1, 2026.) 

Finally, as announced in a separate alert released on September 18, 2025, the Board reminds licensees about the following recent developments related to vaccines: 

• In early September, the West Coast Health Alliance was launched to provide evidence-based unified recommendations for residents of California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii regarding who should receive immunizations. 

• On September 17, the California Department of Public Health announced official immunization recommendations in accordance with this Alliance.  

• Recent enactment of Assembly Bill 144 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 105, Statutes of 2025) provides authority for pharmacists to independently initiate and administer to individuals three years of age or older an immunization that, on January 1, 2025, had in effect an ACIP recommendation and that is recommended by the California Department of Public Health. This authority became effective on September 17, 2025, and provides separate and independent authority (complementing other current and forthcoming authorities) for pharmacists to administer vaccines. 

• AB 144 also contains provisions related to Medi-Cal coverage of vaccines and immunizations. Learn more about Medi-Cal coverage of vaccines here. 

Thank you for your commitment to California patients. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.