(a) Any license issued by the board, or the holder thereof, shall be suspended automatically during any time that the person is incarcerated after conviction of a felony, regardless of whether the conviction has been appealed. The board, immediately upon receipt of a certified copy of a record of a criminal conviction, shall determine whether the person has been automatically suspended by virtue of incarceration pursuant to a felony conviction and, if so, the duration of that suspension. The board shall notify the person so suspended of the suspension and that the person has a right to request a hearing, solely as to whether he or she is incarcerated pursuant to a felony conviction, in writing at that person’s address of record with the board and at the facility in which the person is incarcerated.
(b) In addition to any suspension under subdivision (a), the board shall summarily suspend any license issued by the board where a conviction of the holder of the license meets the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2).
(1) A felony that was either of the following:
(A) Committed in the course of a business or practice for which the board issues a license.
(B) Committed in a manner that a client, customer, or patient of the licensee was a victim.
(2) Where an element of the offense involves either of the following:
(A) The specific intent to deceive, defraud, steal, or make a false statement.
(B) The illegal sale or possession for sale of or trafficking in any controlled substance.
(3) The suspension shall continue until the time for appeal has elapsed, if no appeal is taken, or until the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal or has otherwise become final, and until further order of the board.
(4) The board shall immediately send notice in writing of the suspension to the licensee, or the holder of any other board-issued license, at his or her address of record and, if incarcerated at the time, at the facility in which the person is incarcerated. The notice shall include notification of that person’s right to elect to have the issue of penalty heard as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), and of the right to request a hearing to contest the summary suspension. Any request for a hearing under this paragraph must be received by the board within 15 days following receipt of the notice provided for by this paragraph.
(5) The hearing shall be before an administrative law judge, a committee of the board sitting with an administrative law judge, or the board sitting with an administrative law judge, at the board’s discretion, and shall be subject to review by the board, at its discretion. The hearing shall be limited to (A) whether there has been a felony conviction as stated in the board’s notice, and (B) whether the conviction meets the criteria of this subdivision, except where the licensee chooses to proceed as provided by paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), or where the board has also filed and served an accusation as provided in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and given notice of the hearing as required by that chapter; provided that if an accusation under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code is also to be heard, only an administrative law judge sitting alone or the board, sitting with an administrative law judge, may hear the case.
(c) In addition to any suspension under subdivision (a), the board shall also suspend any license issued by the board, or the holder thereof, if the board determines that the felony conviction of the holder of the license is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the licensee.
(1) Notice of the board’s determination shall be sent to the licensee, or the holder thereof, at that person’s address of record with the board and, if the person is incarcerated at the time, the facility in which the person is incarcerated. The notice shall advise the person that the license shall be suspended without hearing unless, within 15 days following receipt of the notice, a written request for hearing is delivered to the board.
(2) Upon receipt of a timely request for hearing, a notice of hearing shall be sent to the person at least 10 days before the date scheduled for the hearing. The notice of hearing shall include notification of that person’s right to elect to have the issue of penalty heard as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).
(3) The hearing to determine whether a felony conviction is substantially related for purposes of an interim suspension under this subdivision shall be separate from any hearing on an accusation under the Administrative Procedure Act, except where the licensee elects to proceed under paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), or where the board has filed and served an accusation as provided by Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and given notice of hearing as required by that chapter. The hearing on whether the felony conviction is substantially related shall be heard either by an administrative law judge sitting alone, by a committee of the board sitting with an administrative law judge, or by the board sitting with an administrative law judge, at the board’s discretion, and shall be subject to review by the board, at its discretion. However, if an accusation under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code is also to be heard, only an administrative law judge sitting alone or the board, sitting with an administrative law judge, may hear the case. Except where a person proceeds under paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), or the board proceeds with an accusation at the same time, any suspension imposed under this subdivision shall continue until an accusation is filed under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and a final decision is rendered by the board.
(4) A conviction of any crime referred to in Section 4301, or for violation of Section 187, 261, or 288 of the Penal Code, shall be conclusively presumed to be substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee of the board. Upon its own motion or for good cause shown the board may decline to impose a suspension under this subdivision or may set aside a suspension previously imposed when it appears to be in the interest of justice to do so, with due regard to maintaining the integrity of and confidence in the practice of pharmacy and the handling of dangerous drugs and devices.
(d) (1) Discipline may be ordered in accordance with Section 4300 or an application denied when the time for appeal has elapsed, the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence, irrespective of a subsequent order under Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing the person to withdraw his or her plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusation, complaint, information, or indictment.
(2) The issue of penalty shall be heard by an administrative law judge sitting alone or with a committee of the board or with the board itself, at the board’s discretion, and any decision shall be subject to review by the board, at its discretion. The hearing shall not be held until the judgment of conviction has become final or, irrespective of a subsequent order under Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code, an order granting probation has been made suspending the imposition of sentence, provided that a licensee may, at his or her option, elect to have the issue of penalty decided before those time periods have elapsed. Where the licensee so elects, the issue of penalty shall be heard in the manner described in this section at the hearing to determine whether the conviction was substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the licensee. If the conviction of a licensee who has made this election is overturned on appeal, any discipline ordered pursuant to this section shall automatically cease. Nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit the board from pursuing disciplinary action based on any cause, including the facts underlying the conviction, other than the overturned conviction.
(3) The record of the proceedings resulting in the criminal conviction, including a transcript of any testimony taken in connection with the proceeding, may be received in evidence in any administrative proceeding to the extent the testimony would otherwise be admissible under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. A certified copy of the criminal conviction shall be conclusive proof of the fact of the conviction.
(e) Other provisions of this chapter setting forth procedures for the suspension or revocation of a license issued by the board shall not apply to proceedings conducted pursuant to this section, except as specifically provided in this section.
(f) For purposes of this section, a crime is a felony if it is specifically declared to be so or is made a felony by subdivision (a) of Section 17 of the Penal Code, unless it is charged as a misdemeanor pursuant to paragraph (4) or (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 17 of the Penal Code, irrespective of whether in a particular case the crime may be considered a misdemeanor as a result of postconviction proceedings. For purposes of this section, a felony also includes a conviction under federal law, or the law of any other state of the United States, of the District of Columbia, or of any territory or possession of the United States. A conviction includes a plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere.
(g) The board may delegate the authority to issue a suspension under subdivision (a) or (b) or a notice of suspension under subdivision (c) to the executive officer of the board.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2005.)