(a) Any pharmacy located outside this state that ships, mails, or delivers, in any manner, controlled substances, dangerous drugs, or dangerous devices into this state shall be considered a nonresident pharmacy.

(b) A person may not act as a nonresident pharmacy unless he or she has obtained a license from the board. The board may register a nonresident pharmacy that is organized as a limited liability company in the state in which it is licensed.

(c) A nonresident pharmacy shall disclose to the board the location, names, and titles of (1) its agent for service of process in this state, (2) all principal corporate officers, if any, (3) all general partners, if any, and (4) all pharmacists who are dispensing controlled substances, dangerous drugs, or dangerous devices to residents of this state. A report containing this information shall be made on an annual basis and within 30 days after any change of office, corporate officer, partner, or pharmacist.

(d) All nonresident pharmacies shall comply with all lawful directions and requests for information from the regulatory or licensing agency of the state in which it is licensed as well as with all requests for information made by the board pursuant to this section. The nonresident pharmacy shall maintain, at all times, a valid unexpired license, permit, or registration to conduct the pharmacy in compliance with the laws of the state in which it is a resident. As a prerequisite to registering with the board, the nonresident pharmacy shall submit a copy of the most recent inspection report resulting from an inspection conducted by the regulatory or licensing agency of the state in which it is located.

(e) All nonresident pharmacies shall maintain records of controlled substances, dangerous drugs, or dangerous devices dispensed to patients in this state so that the records are readily retrievable from the records of other drugs dispensed.

(f) Any pharmacy subject to this section shall, during its regular hours of operation, but not less than six days per week, and for a minimum of 40 hours per week, provide a toll-free telephone service to facilitate communication between patients in this state and a pharmacist at the pharmacy who has access to the patient’s records. This toll-free telephone number shall be disclosed on a label affixed to each container of drugs dispensed to patients in this state.

(g) A nonresident pharmacy shall not permit a pharmacist whose license has been revoked by the board to manufacture, compound, furnish, sell, dispense, or initiate the prescription of a dangerous drug or dangerous device, or to provide any pharmacy-related service, to a person residing in California.

(h) The board shall adopt regulations that apply the same requirements or standards for oral consultation to a nonresident pharmacy that operates pursuant to this section and ships, mails, or delivers any controlled substances, dangerous drugs, or dangerous devices to residents of this state, as are applied to an in-state pharmacy that operates pursuant to Section 4037 when the pharmacy ships, mails, or delivers any controlled substances, dangerous drugs, or dangerous devices to residents of this state. The board shall not adopt any regulations that require face-to-face consultation for a prescription that is shipped, mailed, or delivered to the patient. The regulations adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall not result in any unnecessary delay in patients receiving their medication.

(i) The registration fee shall be the fee specified in subdivision (a) of Section 4400.

(j) The registration requirements of this section shall apply only to a nonresident pharmacy that ships, mails, or delivers controlled substances, dangerous drugs, and dangerous devices into this state pursuant to a prescription.

(k) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the dispensing of contact lenses by nonresident pharmacists except as provided by Section 4124.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 646, Sec. 3. (SB 431) Effective January 1, 2012.)