§ 6804. State board of pharmacy. A state board of pharmacy shall be appointed by the regents on recommendation of the commissioner for the purpose of assisting the regents and the department on matters of professional licensing and professional conduct in accordance with section sixty-five hundred eight of this title. The board shall be composed of not less than nine pharmacists licensed in this state for at least five years and two registered pharmacy technicians. The initial registered pharmacy technician members of the state board of pharmacy need not be licensed prior to their appointment but shall have met all other requirements of licensure pursuant to section sixty-eight hundred forty-two of this title except for filing an application and paying a fee. An executive secretary to the board shall be appointed by the regents on recommendation of the commissioner and shall be a pharmacist licensed in this state for at least five years. The board shall provide assistance to the department:

a. To regulate the practice of pharmacy, registered pharmacy technicians and the employment of interns and employees in pharmacies,

b. To regulate and control the sale, distribution, character and standard of drugs, poisons, cosmetics, devices and new drugs,

c. To prevent the sale or distribution of such drugs, poisons, cosmetics, devices and new drugs as do not conform to the provisions of this article or of the public health law,

d. To investigate alleged violations of the provisions of this article, and

e. To issue limited permits or registrations.