If you are a physician working in California and are considering medication dispensing at your practice, it is important that you adhere to state laws and regulations. The information included on this page is for reference only, so please refer to your state medical or pharmaceutical board for updated information.
Registration for Medication Dispensing
Physician dispensing in California means the delivery of a controlled substance, a prescription only drug, or a prescription only device to a patient for use outside the physician’s office.
Health care professionals who can dispense medication include:
- Medical Doctors (MD)
- Nurse Midwife’s
- Doctors of Osteopathic Med (DO)
- **Naturopathic Doctors
- Dentists (DDS, DMD)
- *Nurse Practitioners (NP), including OB/GYN
- Podiatrist (DPM)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
- *Physician Assistants (PA)
- *Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
- *Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP, APRN)
- ***Optometrist
*PAs and NPs may provide medication pursuant to a protocol with a prescriber if prepackaged by the manufacturer, physician or pharmacist. RN may dispense in Clinic, except controlled substances. Nurse Midwife may order/furnish meds in accordance with protocol by supervising physician. No clinic shall employ a registered nurse to perform dispensing duties exclusively.
**http://law.onecle.com/california/business/3640.5.html Article 4 Section 3640.5 (f) Drugs furnished or ordered by a naturopathic doctor may include Schedule III through Schedule V controlled substances under the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code) and shall be further limited to those drugs agreed upon by the naturopathic doctor and physician and surgeon as specified in the standardized procedure.
***Optometrists authorized to prescribe drugs may dispense a drug at no charge to a patient in every state if the drug is within their scope of practice. In a limited number of states, optometrists also have authority to sell a drug or a specified drug to a patient. Check with the optometry board in a particular state for further information on the authority of an optometrist to dispense drugs for a fee.
Doctors of Homeopathy, Midwives and Clinical Nurse Specialists cannot dispense medications.
There are also several very specific rules with regards to dispensing controlled substances and limits on the days supply that is allowed. Please refer to the most current regulations for more info.
There are licensing requirements to dispense medications at your practice. Required licenses & certifications include a state medical license, DEA license if dispensing if dispensing level II-IV medications, and an ADDS license if dispensing via an automated drug delivery system
What are the benefits of Medication Dispensing in California ?
There are several benefits for medication dispensing, including:
- Driven revenue into your practice
- Improved patient medication compliance
- Patient satisfaction and recommendations to your practice
- Reduce workload for staff (fewer pharmacy calls)
- Reduced cost to patients
- Time saved for both patients and staff
Why Should You Choose First Coast Health Solutions?
We are a leading national provider of full-service physician dispensing. Our dispensing programs are designed to work with all medical, dental, and health care specialties.
By choosing our services, you have not only the physician dispensing software and medications to dispense but the service support necessary to keep your business thriving. We have dedicated account managers, over 800 customer support agents, guaranteed quick reimbursements, leading dispensing software, the analytics to maximize reimbursement, and proven formulary optimization.
It does not matter if you are a clinic, urgent care, hospital, or private practice; our program for physician dispensing has proven successful in similar settings.
How does First Coast Health Solutions Support California Physician Dispensing Regulations?
Most offices dispense controlled substances, and our software monitors and submit information to state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP).
We are also here to support you, the physician, and understand your license is your lifeline. If you have questions about California physician dispensing regulations, don’t hesitate to contact us.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.