Arizona’s pharmacy board may issue fines with a six-month cap

The board may issue nondisciplinary civil penalties itself or let its executive director issue them. The penalties may apply to licensees, registrants, and permittees under the board’s authority. The board must set the penalties by rule and use a board-approved form. If a licensee, registrant, or permittee does not pay a penalty, the board must hold a hearing. The $25,000 maximum applies in any six-month period; the board may consider activity over the previous 48 months when setting a lower fine.

After a formal hearing, the board may impose civil penalties on permittees. This applies to permittees and their employees covered by the board’s permit discipline process. The board must find after a formal hearing that the permittee or an employee violated the law or a board rule, engaged in unethical conduct, or could not safely perform work. For permittees that do not directly provide patient care, penalties are capped at $25,000 in total in any six-month period; each penalty may be up to $1,000 per violation. The $25,000 total limit applies in any six-month period.

The board may impose nondisciplinary penalties for certain violations and other violations it considers appropriate. The listed violations cover licensees, registrants, permittees, and people who ship goods into Arizona that require a permit. The listed acts or omissions must not pose an imminent threat to public health and safety. For the violations listed in paragraph 2, three or more violations must be presented to the board as a complaint. Most listed profile updates are due within 10 days of a change; pharmacist-in-charge updates are due within 14 days. Late renewal is listed when it occurs within 60 days after a license, registration, or permit expires.