Health Care Department Operations Manual

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Chapter 3 – Health Care Operations

Article 5 – Pharmacy and Medication Services

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3.5.1 Pharmacy and Medication Services

  • Policy

    • California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) shall provide pharmaceutical services, including prescribed medications accurately and timely, to patients within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

    • All CCHCS pharmacies shall be licensed as correctional pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy (BOP). Pharmacy services within a correctional pharmacy shall be under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

    • CCHCS shall maintain a centralized pharmacy operation to provide advantages of scale and efficiencies related to medication purchasing, inventory control, volume production, drug distribution, workforce utilization, and increased patient safety.

    • The Systemwide Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee shall govern the CCHCS Drug Formulary; govern the cost-effective use of medications; and establish, review, monitor, and approve policies and procedures pertaining to pharmacy and medication services.

  • Purpose

    • To provide guidelines for ordering, processing, documenting, and administering medication to CDCR patients by licensed health care staff and to ensure that all CCHCS pharmacy services comply with federal and state laws, regulations, and standards of practice.

  • Responsibility

    • Statewide

      • CCHCS and CDCR departmental leadership at all levels of the organization, within the scope of their authority, shall ensure administrative and clinical systems are in place and appropriate tools, training, technical assistance, and levels of resources are available so that licensed health care staff can successfully operationalize this procedure.

      • Oversight of pharmacy services shall be the responsibility of the Statewide Chief of Pharmacy Services, who must be a pharmacist licensed by the BOP.

    • Regional

      • Regional Health Care Executives and Regional Pharmacy Services Managers are responsible for operationalizing this procedure at the subset of institutions within an assigned region.

    • Institutional

      • The Chief Executive Officer, or designee, is responsible for the operation, monitoring, and evaluation of this policy and associated procedures.

  • References

  • Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Chapter II, Section 1301.13, Application for registration; time for application; expiration date; registration for independent activities; application forms, fees, contents and signature; coincident activities.

  • California Business and Professions Code, Division 2, Chapter 9, Article 2, Sections 4021.5, 4037, and 4040 (a)(2)

  • California Business and Professions Code, Division 2, Chapter 9, Article 6, Section 4107

  • California Health and Safety Code, Division 10, Chapter 4, Article 1, Section 11150

  • California Penal Code, Part 3, Title 7, Chapter 1, Section 5024.2(b)

  • Plata v. Newsom, Stipulation for Injunctive Relief, June 13, 2002

  • Plata v. Newsom, Order regarding Preliminary Plan of Action and Motion to Modify Injunction, September 6, 2007

  • The US Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary (USPN-NF) http://www.usp.org/USPNF/

  • Revision History

  • Effective: 10/2008
    Revised: 07/01/2024
    Reviewed: 04/21/2026