California

This week, the Board of Pharmacy issued the following communication: As you may be aware, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy in October 2023, resulting in the closure of several locations nationwide. On May 5, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy again and is in the process of selling assets, including prescriptions, to other pharmacies. 

The Board is closely monitoring the Rite Aid bankruptcy proceedings and anticipated pharmacy closures in California.  The Board strongly encourages pharmacies to consider if they may be impacted by Rite Aid closures in their respective areas and, if so, to begin taking steps to assist patients who may be seeking pharmacy services.  

The Board also reminds licensees that Business and Professions Code section 4064 establishes provisions for emergency refill of prescriptions without prescriber authorization under specified conditions.  It may be helpful to recommend patients bring in their prescription containers when seeking an emergency refill.  

As more information is received, updates will be shared on the Board's website https://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/. 

Also in California, the Board of Pharmacy posted to its website a Fact Sheet about the California Medication Error Reporting (CAMER) Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 4113.1 including high level data reporting elements. Please note: the Board advises licensees that medication errors that occur on or after September 1, 2025, must be reported to the CAMER system. To view, visit www.pharmacy.ca.gov, scroll down to "What's New" and click on the link "California Medication Error Reporting (CAMER) Pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 4113.1". 

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

• Medi-Cal Rx Checkwrite Schedule – State Fiscal Year 2025-26 Available 

• 60-Day Countdown: NCPDP Field 426-DQ Usual and Customary Charge Requirement 

• Updates to the Vaccines for Children Administration Fee and Reimbursement Rate 

• Reminder: Preventing Common Billing Errors for Coordination of Benefits Claims 

Also in California, the Department of Health Care Services posted the following: 

• May 2025 Pharmacy Medi-Cal Update Bulletin 

• May 2025 Durable Medical Equipment and Medical Services Medi-Cal Update Bulletin 

Finally in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) released the revised 2025-26 State Budget, known as the May Revision. The May Revision proposes multiple programmatic changes to the pharmacy benefit by implementing a pharmacy rebate aggregator to secure rebates for the undocumented immigrant population; eliminating over-the-counter (OTC) coverage of certain drug classes, including COVID-19 antigen tests, OTC vitamins, and certain antihistamines including dry eye products; eliminating glucagon-like peptide-1 coverage (GLP-1) for weight loss effective January 1, 2026; and implementing utilization management and prior authorization for prescription drugs in Medi-Cal. It also proposes statutory changes to establish licensure and data reporting requirements for PBMs with the aim to increase transparency, understand cost drivers, and develop approaches to improve prescription drug affordability; details will be available in the Department of Managed Health Care's trailer bill language. Also, Gov. Newsom announced changes in coverage for undocumented immigrants beginning in 2026, just a year after expanding Medi-Cal access to undocumented immigrants of all ages.  

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