(a) A pharmacist from the supervising pharmacy shall complete a monthly in-person, self-inspection of each remote dispensing site pharmacy using a form designated by the board and shall retain all inspection reports.

(b) A perpetual inventory shall be kept for all controlled substances stored at a remote dispensing site pharmacy.

(c) All controlled substances at a remote dispensing site pharmacy shall be stored in a secure cabinet or safe that is locked.

(d) A pharmacist from the supervising pharmacy shall perform inventory and inventory reconciliation functions at a remote dispensing site pharmacy to detect and prevent the loss of any controlled substance.

(e) The pharmacist-in-charge of a remote dispensing site pharmacy shall review all inventory and inventory reconciliation reports taken and shall establish and maintain secure methods to prevent losses of any controlled substance. The board shall develop written policies and procedures for performing the inventory reconciliation reports required by this section.

(f) A pharmacist from the supervising pharmacy shall compile an inventory reconciliation report of all Schedule II controlled substances at a remote dispensing site pharmacy at least once every three months. This compilation shall require all of the following:

(1) A physical count, not an estimate, of all quantities of Schedule II controlled substances at the remote dispensing site pharmacy. The biennial inventory of controlled substances as required under federal law may serve as one of the mandated inventories under this section in the year that the federal biennial inventory is performed, provided that the biennial inventory was taken no more than three months from the last inventory required by this section.

(2) A review of all acquisitions and dispositions of Schedule II controlled substances since the last inventory reconciliation report.

(3) A comparison of paragraphs (1) and (2) in order to determine if there are any variances.

(4) All records used to compile each inventory reconciliation report shall be maintained in the remote dispensing site pharmacy for at least three years in a readily retrievable form.

(g) A remote dispensing site pharmacy shall report to the board, in writing, any identified losses of controlled substances and possible causes of the loss within 30 days of discovering the loss unless the cause of loss is theft, diversion, or self-use in which case the report shall be made within 14 days of discovering the loss. If the remote dispensing site pharmacy is unable to identify the cause of the loss, the remote dispensing site pharmacy shall undertake further investigation to identify the cause of the loss and security improvements necessary to prevent any additional losses of controlled substances. The pharmacist-in-charge shall be responsible for submitting the report to the board.

(h) Possible causes of overages shall be identified in writing and incorporated into the inventory reconciliation report.

(i) The inventory reconciliation report shall be dated and signed by the individual or individuals performing the inventory and countersigned by the pharmacist-in-charge of the remote dispensing site pharmacy. A countersignature shall not be required if the pharmacist-in-charge personally completed the inventory reconciliation report. The inventory reconciliation report shall be maintained in the remote dispensing site pharmacy for at least three years in a readily retrievable form.

(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 548, Sec. 7. (AB 401) Effective January 1, 2018.)