Health Care Department Operations Manual

Cancel

Chapter 1 – Health Care Governance and Administration

Article 4.5 – Professional Workforce: Pharmacy Services

View All Sections >

1.4.5.1 Pharmacy Staff Onboarding

  • Policy

    • California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) shall provide all newly appointed civil service pharmacy staff including Pharmacy Services Manager, Pharmacist II, Pharmacist I, and pharmacy technicians who provide clinical and/or support services in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) institutions with relevant and job-specific orientation and training (New Pharmacy Staff Onboarding) during the probationary period. This policy shall not be construed as altering existing laws and regulations governing civil service probationary periods or the provisions of any applicable bargaining unit contract.

  • Purpose

    • To establish a comprehensive and standardized onboarding process for new civil service pharmacy staff that:

    • Promotes consistency and standardization among all institutions statewide regarding minimum onboarding expectations for new pharmacy staff.

    • Supports newly appointed pharmacy staff with relevant orientation and training by experienced subject matter experts during the probationary period.

    • Facilitates adherence to applicable scopes of practice, standards of practice, applicable clinical guidelines, and CDCR/CCHCS standards.

    • Promotes job satisfaction while enhancing pharmacy staff effectiveness and efficiency.

  • Responsibility

    • The Statewide Chief of Pharmacy Services is responsible for:

      • Statewide planning, implementation, and evaluation of this policy and procedure.

      • Supervising the completion of the onboarding requirements for the Central Pharmacy Services Managers.

    • The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the institution Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC) are responsible for the local implementation of this policy and procedure.

    • The Central Pharmacy Services Managers and Pharmacist IIs are responsible for supervising the completion of the onboarding requirements for all other Central Pharmacy Services staff.

    • Regional Pharmacy Services Managers are responsible for the implementation of this policy and procedure at the subset of institutions within an assigned region.

    • New civil service pharmacy staff are responsible for completing all standardized onboarding requirements including working with their supervisor to ensure their understanding in meeting the requirements.

  • Procedure

    • Orientation and On-the-Job Support during the Probationary Period

      • The direct supervisor and appropriate subject matter experts shall use the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist, located on the Pharmacy Services Lifeline page under the Forms & Medication Lists tab, to ensure each newly hired employee completes, at a minimum, 12 weeks of formal orientation and training (hereinafter referred to as “onboarding”).

        • The pharmacy staff onboarding shall include, at a minimum, the following:

          • Initial introduction to the institution or work location including:

            • Human Resources and Information Technology departments.

            • Overview of the institution’s or work location’s missions and physical layout.

            • Overview of the new employee’s work space.

            • Issuance of the new employee’s identification card and other essential work items.

          • Institution-based or work-location-based onboarding covering the designated topics specified in the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist.

          • Electronic Health Record System (EHRS) training and competency validation including completion of CCHCS Learning Management System (LMS) EHRS Modules consistent with the employee’s duty statement.

          • Orientation and mentoring by pharmacy staff performing specific tasks identified in the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist.

        • Staff beginning independent work shall have access to pharmacy staff familiar with their job duties for questions and assistance.

        • Upon completion of onboarding, the direct supervisor shall ensure completion of the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist and shall review, sign, and maintain the completed forms in the employee’s supervisory file (proof of practice file).  If the new pharmacy staff member is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances in completing the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist, the direct supervisor may provide additional time on a case-by-case basis to complete the onboarding process and the checklists as soon as possible after the 12th week.

        • Any job-required and job-related training that is not listed in the Pharmacy Onboarding and Competency Checklist nor recorded in the CCHCS LMS shall be recorded on a CDCR 844, Training Participation Sign-In Sheet and be filed in the employee’s supervisory file.

    • Re-Orientation of Pharmacy Staff (Re-Entry Training)

      • For staff who are out (e.g., long-term sick):

        • If staff have been out for less than one year, the following is required:

          • The supervisor shall review documentation of previous completion of the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist.

            • If no documentation of previous completion of the Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist, then the supervisor and staff member shall work together to complete any portion of onboarding they did not previously complete within 12 weeks of re-entry.

          • Staff shall review all classes, updates, and mandatory training missed.

          • Skills competency validations shall be completed for the areas in which staff will be working.

        • Staff who are out more than one year shall complete the onboarding process in its entirety upon return.

    • Transferring Between Institutions Without a Break in Service or Performing Duties at More Than One Institution

      • The direct supervisor is responsible to ensure that all pharmacy staff working at that institution are competent to perform all the duties of the position for which the pharmacy employee has been hired.

      • The direct supervisor may develop an abbreviated Pharmacy Staff Onboarding and Competency Checklist for pharmacy staff who have already completed onboarding at another institution, taking into account the staff member’s clinical competency and professional performance at any other CDCR location.

      • Proof of completion of the onboarding process, clinical competencies, and professional performance shall be maintained at each CDCR location.  This does not absolve the direct supervisor at each CDCR location from ensuring that annual performance evaluations are conducted or that pharmacy staff are competent to perform the duties required in their position.

  • References

    • California Code of Regulation, Title 15, Division 3, Chapter 1, Subchapter 5, Article 4, Section 3435, In-Service Training

    • California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Article 18, General Training

    • Health Care Department Operations Manual, Chapter 5, Article 9, Section 5.9.1, General Training Requirements

  • Revision History

    • Effective: 09/2020

    • Revised: 02/18/2025