| Customer verification | Must verify the buyer's license |
|---|---|
| Records to keep | 3 years |
| Separate device or DME distributor license | Yes |
What California requires before you ship
A wholesaler may furnish dangerous drugs or devices only to an authorized person. Before selling to someone it does not know, it must contact the Board, or the other agency that licensed the buyer, to confirm the buyer is authorized. Deliveries go only to the premises on the buyer's permit. For shipments out of state, the seller must determine that the recipient is legally allowed to receive them.
Who counts as an authorized buyer: A person holding a Board permit that lets it buy dangerous drugs or devices within the scope of that permit, or another person legally authorized to receive them, such as licensed prescribers (physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, veterinarians and others listed in B&P 4059.5(d)), manufacturers, and Board licensees.
"shall contact the board or, if the person is licensed or registered by another government entity, that entity" Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 1783(a)-(c); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 4059.5(b), (e)
Records to keep
Records of furnishing dangerous drugs and devices must be kept for at least three years from the date they are made and be available to inspectors during business hours.
Source: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 1783(e)
Licenses a distributor needs in California
Prescription drug wholesale distributor
No one may act as a wholesaler or third-party logistics provider of dangerous (prescription) drugs or dangerous devices without a Board license. Nonresident wholesalers that ship into California are also covered.
Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 4043, 4160
Medical device and DME distributors
A wholesaler is defined to include anyone who sells for resale any drug or device covered by section 4022 (dangerous drugs and devices, meaning prescription-only items). So wholesalers of prescription devices need a Board wholesaler license. California also licenses home medical device retailers through the Department of Public Health, which we did not review.
Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 4043, 4160(a)
Controlled substances
We did not confirm a separate California controlled substance registration for wholesalers.
Where to look up a California license
- Pharmacies and pharmacy permits: California State Board of Pharmacy
- Physicians and other practitioners: Medical Board of California
- NPI: NPPES NPI Registry
- DEA registrations: DEA Diversion Control Division
Federal rules that apply in every state
- A prescription device "is to be sold only to or on the prescription or other order of such practitioner," or to a business lawfully distributing it (21 CFR 801.109).
- A prescription drug wholesale distributor's trading partners "may be only authorized trading partners," which for a pharmacy means one licensed under state law (21 U.S.C. 360eee-1(c)(3)).
How WorkdID handles California accounts
WorkdID by Workd checks every California customer you sell to against the state's pharmacy and medical boards, the NPI registry, and the DEA, every day. It flags an expiration or a board action within a day of posting, and in Workd order entry it can hold the order until your compliance team clears the account. Every check is saved with the date and the board record, so your California file is ready when someone asks for it.
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