Designated Representative Frequently Asked Questions

Find out everything you need to know about APR's training classes

  1. How often and where does Access Pharmacy Resources conduct its training classes?
  2. How many employees should attend the training?
  3. How do I select which employee(s) should attend the training?
  4. What criteria are required for an individual to become a designated representative?
  5. Does Access Pharmacy Resources provide a "board approved" training program?
  6. Is the training program offered by Access Pharmacy Resources guaranteed?
  7. Do I need to have the 1-year of work experience before I take the class?

How often and where does Access Pharmacy Resources conduct its training classes?

It is our goal to meet our customers' needs on their schedules, not ours. The number of classes and where they are held depend largely upon these needs. Therefore, APR has no fixed schedule of class dates or where they are held. We do our best to provide a central location to as many attendees as possible. When you see scheduled class dates on our website, it means we already have attendees booked for that seminar.

APR gives at least one class each month, usually in Southern California. In many cases our classes are held with greater frequency, depending on the needs of our customers. We also offer on-site training for companies that may need several designated reps. Additionally, we have traveled out of state to facilitate our friends who are registered as "non-resident wholesalers". To find out when and where the next class is, check our 'Seminar Schedule' page. If you want more info, or if you want to arrange a class specifically for your company, call Renee Evans, our conference coordinator in the APR office at 209-521-4277.

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How many employees should I send for the Designated Rep Training?

There are no set regulations in the law about how many employees need to be certified as designated representatives. However, the law is very specific that a registered pharmacist or a designated rep MUST be on the premises of a CA licensed wholesaler AT ALL TIMES during the conduct of ANY business, regardless of the type of business that is being conducted. If you are a CA board licensed "Non-Resident Wholesaler", you must have at least 1 designated representative-in-charge listed with the California board.

For Ca based wholesalers, knowing that no single employee is on your premises during all daily hours of operation, it is the recommendation of the California State Board of Pharmacy that more than 1 employee is certified as a designated representative.

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How do I select which employee(s) should attend the training?

There are 3 important factors that primarily go into your selection process: hours of operation, job descriptions and duties, and individual employee knowledge and responsibility.

First consider your hours of operation. For example, if an employee or group of employees start an early shift in your facility, the law states that once they open the building, and therefore start conducting business, there must be a designated rep on the premises (for California based wholesalers only). The same would be true of an evening or night shift.

Second, look at your employees' job descriptions and daily duties. The law makes no connection between an employee's title or job description and the designated representative requirement. Access Pharmacy Resources has provided training to all levels of employees from CEO's, owners, managers, and supervisors, to regular staff employees. Who you select depends primarily on the needs of your individual facility.

Third, as you make your selection, remember that a primary duty of a designated rep is the control and charge of the inventory of dangerous drugs and/or devices, as well as all record keeping requirements for disposition of DDD inventory. Because this is an important responsibility that involves protecting the consumers of the State of California, prudent practice would indicate that your designated rep candidates should have knowledge, accessibility and a sense of awareness of the importance of appropriately maintaining your inventory and record keeping of dangerous drugs and devices.

Again, as you plan your designated representative training, think of hours of operation, job descriptions and duties, and the individual employee's knowledge and responsibility surrounding the accessibility to dangerous drugs and devices. Then, call APR 209-521-4277 with any question about how we can help your facility comply with the law.

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What criteria are there for an individual to become a designated representative?

Three criteria are stated in the law:

  1. Knowledge and understanding of state and federal law relating to the distribution of dangerous drugs and devices.
  2. Knowledge and understanding of state and federal law relating to the distribution of controlled substances.
  3. Knowledge and understanding of quality control systems.
  4. Knowledge and understanding of the United States Pharmacopoeia standards relating to the safe storage and handling of drugs.
  5. Knowledge and understanding of prescription terminology, abbreviations, dosages and format.

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Does Access Pharmacy Resources provide a "board approved" training program?

Yes. We have trained hundreds of candidates who have received their designated rep certificates. We come into repeated contact with board inspectors and staff members who help us identify new laws and interpretations.

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Is the training program offered by Access Pharmacy Resources guaranteed?

Yes. If any candidate is denied an designated representative certificate for the stated sole purpose of a deficiency in the training program, we will re-train the candidate at no charge. Such training deficiency must be stated in writing from the California State Board of Pharmacy. Written deficiency from the board must be dated within 6 months of the training day. Denial of a designated representative certificate for any other reason will not be cause for retraining. Call Access Pharmacy Resources for more details.

APR has never had to put this guarantee into place. The development of our program took hundreds of hours of research and consultation with many professionals. We are continually updating our program to ensure compliance with changing laws and interpretations.

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Do I need to have the 1 year of work experience before I take the class?

No. There is no statement in the law with that requirement. We have trained many designated representative candidates who had not yet had their 1 year of paid work experience completed. A candidate would simply wait until the one year of paid work experience has been completed and, at the time, send in their application paperwork to the board.

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