(a) If the Executive Secretary and the President of the Board jointly find after an investigation that a pharmacist has violated a provision of this chapter or a regulation enacted pursuant to this chapter, but that the violation can be reasonably resolved without a formal disciplinary sanction under § 2516 of this title, the Executive Secretary and the president, or his or her designee, may counsel the pharmacist regarding the violation. The Executive Secretary shall notify the pharmacist in writing of the finding and of the decision not to proceed with formal disciplinary sanctioning. The notification must explain the finding and request the presence of the pharmacist at a counseling session. During the counseling session, the Executive Secretary and the president, or his or her designee, shall discuss with the pharmacist the violation, and establish a plan of correction, if necessary.
(b) Counseling pursuant to subsection (a) of this section is voluntary. However, if the pharmacist fails to attend the counseling session or fails to comply with the necessary plan of correction specified by the Executive Secretary and the president, or his or her designee, the violation must be handled in the same manner as a violation of § 2515 of this title is handled.
(c) The counseling of a pharmacist under this section is not considered disciplinary action if the pharmacist attends the counseling session and complies with any necessary plan of correction required by the Executive Secretary and the president, or his or her designee. Counseling pursuant to this section may not be used in considering disciplinary sanctions in a future hearing unrelated to the incident for which the pharmacist was counseled unless the future incident involves the same or similar allegations as those for which the pharmacist was counseled.