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HomeBusiness and Professions CodeDiv. 2Ch. 9Art. 3§ 4052 Pharmacist Prescription Authority

§ 4052 Pharmacist Prescription Authority

Business and Professions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 4052 Pharmacist Prescription Authority

Key Takeaways

  • •Pharmacists can give out some medicines without a doctor's prescription, like emergency birth control or travel vaccines.
  • •They can also give shots (like flu vaccines) and help manage medicines for long-term illnesses.
  • •Pharmacists must tell your main doctor if they give you medicine, or give you a note if you don’t have a doctor.
  • •They can work with doctors to adjust your medicines if needed.

Example

You need emergency birth control but can’t see a doctor right away.

The pharmacist can give it to you directly and will tell your doctor later (or give you a note if you don’t have one).

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 4052 Pharmacist Prescription Authority

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a pharmacist may do all of the following: (1) Furnish a reasonable quantity of compounded drug product to a prescriber for office use by the prescriber. (2) Transmit a valid prescription to another pharmacist. (3) Administer drugs and biological products that have been ordered by a prescriber. (4) Perform procedures or functions in a licensed health care facility as authorized by Section 4052.1. (5) Perform procedures or functions as part of the care provided by a health care facility, a licensed home health agency, a licensed clinic in which there is physician oversight, a provider who contracts with a licensed health care service plan with regard to the care or services provided to the enrollees of that health care service plan, or a physician, as authorized by Section 4052.2. (6) Perform procedures or functions as authorized by Section 4052.6. (7) Manufacture, measure, fit to the patient, or sell and repair dangerous devices, or furnish instructions to the patient or the patient’s representative concerning the use of those devices. (8) Provide consultation, training, and education to patients about drug therapy, disease management, and disease prevention. (9) Provide professional information, including clinical or pharmacological information, advice, or consultation to other health care professionals, and participate in multidisciplinary review of patient progress, including appropriate access to medical records. (10) Furnish the medications described in subparagraph (A) in accordance with subparagraph (B): (A) (i) Emergency contraception drug therapy, over-the-counter contraceptives, and self-administered prescription-only hormonal contraceptives, as authorized by Section 4052.3. (ii) Nicotine replacement products, as authorized by Section 4052.9. (iii) Prescription medications not requiring a diagnosis that are recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for individuals traveling outside of the United States. (iv) HIV preexposure prophylaxis, as authorized by Section 4052.02. (v) HIV postexposure prophylaxis, as authorized by Section 4052.03. (B) The pharmacist shall notify the patient’s primary care provider of any drugs or devices furnished to the patient, or enter 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 shall provide the patient with a written record of the drugs or devices furnished and advise the patient to consult a physician of the patient’s choice. (11) Administer immunizations pursuant to a protocol with a prescriber. (12) Order and interpret tests for the purpose of monitoring and managing the efficacy and toxicity of drug therapies. A pharmacist who orders and interprets tests pursuant to this paragraph shall ensure that the ordering of those tests is done in coordination with the patient’s primary care provider or diagnosing prescriber, as appropriate, including promptly transmitting written notification to the patient’s diagnosing prescriber or entering the appropriate information in a patient record system shared with the prescriber, when available and as permitted by that prescriber. (13) Initiate, adjust, or discontinue drug therapy for a patient under a collaborative practice agreement with any health care provider with prescriptive authority. The collaborative practice agreement may be between a single or multiple pharmacists and a single or multiple health care providers with prescriptive authority. (14) Provide medication-assisted treatment pursuant to a state protocol, to the extent authorized by federal law. (b) A pharmacist who is authorized to issue an order to initiate or adjust a controlled substance therapy pursuant to this section shall personally register with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. (c) This section does not affect the applicable requirements of law relating to either of the following: (1) Maintaining the confidentiality of medical records. (2) The licensing of a health care facility. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 135, Sec. 2. (AB 50) Effective September 26, 2025.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

prescriptioneducationagreementmedicalcontractpatientdangerhealth

Related Statutes

  • § 4051 Pharmacist Prescription Authority Rules
  • § 4052.02 Pharmacist Hiv Prevention Authority
  • § 4052.9 Pharmacist Nicotine Replacement Authority
  • § 4053 Designated Representative Licensing Requirements
  • § 4057 Drug Sale Exemptions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Business and Professions Code. Section 4052.
View Official Source