CA AB377

Authorizes centralized hospital packaging pharmacies to prepare medications for administration to inpatients within their own general acute care hospital and one or more commonly-owned hospitals within a 75-mile radius of each other.

Requires centralized hospital packaging pharmacies to obtain a specialty license from the State Board of Pharmacy with an issuance and annual renewal fee of $600 (may increase to $800), subject to board inspection for compliance.

Mandates all unit dose medications be barcoded with retrievable information including preparation date, components, lot number, expiration date, National Drug Code number, and pharmacy name.

Requires medication labels to display expiration date, established drug name, quantity of active ingredient, and special storage or handling requirements.

Makes the centralized hospital packaging pharmacy and its pharmacists responsible for the integrity, potency, quality, and labeled strength of all unit dose drug products prepared.