News
The Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) fee will decrease from $11 to $9 annually for licenses expiring on and after July 1, 2023. The fee is assessed at the time of license renewal on licensees that prescribe, order, administer, or furnish Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV, or Schedule V controlled substances. Most licensees will see an $18 CURES Fee due to the biennial renewal cycle. The fee covers the reasonable regulatory costs of the Department of Justice for operating and maintaining CURES, a critical element in the state’s effort to address the growing danger of opioid addiction stemming from prescription drug abuse. For more information about CURES, visit: https://oag.ca.gov/cures.
On October 17, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the State of Emergency, and associated Executive Orders N-39-20 and N-75-20, will end on February 28, 2023. Upon the State of Emergency ending, active waivers that were issued under the authority of the State of Emergency and Executive Orders will also expire.
Please check the board’s website for any future updates.
Read the Governor’s press release for more detailed information about the end of the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) announced the approval of $40.8 million in grant awards to 20 organizations that support and encourage students from underrepresented regions and backgrounds to pursue healthcare careers. The grant awards will be issued through the Health Professions Pathways Program, which focuses on students entering the fields of primary care, behavioral health, geriatrics, nursing, and oral and allied health. Visit the HCAI website to read more and to view the full list of awardees (PDF).
Updated regulations pertaining to the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) became effective on August 15, 2022. The regulations revise and add to the CURES access and use regulations that took effect on July 1, 2020. The approved regulations and a bulletin (PDF) summarizing the important and substantive changes can be found on the Office of the Attorney General’s CURES website.
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) recently awarded the contract for prescription data collection services for the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) to a new vendor. For information on how licensees of DCA boards are impacted by this change, please see the New Data Collection Vendor For CURES document (PDF) on the DOJ CURES webpage.
Licensees of the Physician Assistant Board with prescribing authority are subject to the e-prescribing requirements established by Assembly Bill (AB) 2789 (Wood, 2018). Beginning January 1, 2022, most prescriptions (including but not limited to prescriptions for controlled substances) issued by a licensed healthcare practitioner to a California pharmacy must be submitted electronically. For more information on this law and its requirements, please see the AB 2789 Bulletin (PDF). Practitioners also can get answers to questions about complying with the law at Electronic Data Transmission Prescriptions (E-Prescriptions) – Frequently Asked Questions provided by the California State Board of Pharmacy.
To further protect vulnerable Californians and health care workers, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently issued two public health orders.
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) detected and is quickly taking action to halt a recent move by organized criminal elements to file false disability insurance claims.
On May 24, 2021, the American Academy of Physician Assistants House of Delegates passed a resolution affirming title change of the PA profession from “Physician Assistant” to “Physician Associate.” While the Physician Assistant Board is aware of the title change, it is inappropriate for PAs to hold themselves out as “physician associates” unless and until legislative and regulatory changes are made to incorporate the new title.
Effective April 1, 2021, the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) fee will increase from $6 to $11 annually for a period of two years. The increase will be applied to licenses expiring after July 1, 2021, and is assessed at the time of license renewal on specified licensees of the Physician Assistant Board that prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV, or Schedule V controlled substances.
Most licensees will see a $22 CURES Fee due to the biennial renewal cycle. The fee covers the reasonable regulatory costs of the Department of Justice for operating and maintaining CURES, a critical element in the state’s effort to address the growing danger of opioid addiction stemming from prescription drug abuse.
For more information about CURES, visit Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System.
On January 7, 2021, the California Department of Public Health released new guidelines on vaccine prioritization.
Starting January 1, 2021, individuals in the following categories who apply for licensure by the Physician Assistant Board may seek an expedited licensure process.
As the COVID-19 vaccines are distributed, the Physician Assistant Board (Board) is supporting the State’s effort to ensure that all providers follow the standards for allocating and administering COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, Board licensees must adhere to the current federal and state prioritization standards for allocating and administering COVID-19 vaccines in phases. The standards are available on the California Department of Public Health’s website.
For more information, please see the Vaccine Distribution Guidance (PDF).
Starting January 1, 2021, the only California controlled substance prescription forms that will remain valid and acceptable by pharmacies will be those possessing a 12-character serial number and a corresponding barcode, compliant with the requirements introduced in a new state law, AB 149 (Cooper, Statutes of 2019).
Starting January 1, 2021, new laws will impact licensees who prescribe and/or dispense controlled substances.
The California Physician Assistant Board (PAB) announces the appointment of Rozana Khan as its new executive officer, effective December 1, 2020.
The Physician Assistant Board (Board) would like to notify you that the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Health and Human Services have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers. The Board is sharing this information to provide warning to healthcare providers to ensure that they take timely and reasonable precautions to protect their networks from these threats. Please see additional information at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency website.
Effective June 1, 2020, the Board will not accept certificates of completion from providers not listed on our website for the Controlled Substance Education Course.
Implementation of SB 697, effective January 1, 2020, amends the California Physician Assistant Practice Act. To view the California Physician Assistant Practice Act visit California Legislative Information. Submit questions regarding amendments by emailing the PA Board.
Information Bulletin - SB 697 Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
AB 149 was signed into law by the Governor on March 11, 2019 and takes effect immediately. This bill allows for a transition period, until January 1, 2021, before the new requirement becomes effective that prescription forms for controlled substances include a uniquely serialized number.