(a) A pharmacist may furnish nicotine replacement products approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for use by prescription only in accordance with standardized procedures and protocols developed and approved by both the board and the Medical Board of California in consultation with other appropriate entities and provide smoking cessation services if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The pharmacist maintains records of all prescription drugs and devices furnished for a period of at least three years for purposes of notifying other health care providers and monitoring the patient.

(2) The pharmacist notifies the patient’s primary care provider of any drugs or devices furnished to the patient, or enters the appropriate information in a patient record system shared with the primary care provider, as permitted by that primary care provider. If the patient does not have a primary care provider, the pharmacist provides the patient with a written record of the drugs or devices furnished and advises the patient to consult a physician of the patient’s choice.

(3) The pharmacist is certified in smoking cessation therapy by an organization recognized by the board.

(4) The pharmacist completes one hour of continuing education focused on smoking cessation therapy biennially.

(b) The board and the Medical Board of California are both authorized to ensure compliance with this section, and each board is specifically charged with the enforcement of this section with respect to their respective licensees. Nothing in this section shall be construed to expand the authority of a pharmacist to prescribe any other prescription medication.

(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 469, Sec. 10. (SB 493) Effective January 1, 2014.)