(a) Notwithstanding any rules or regulations governing other health facilities, the regulations developed by the State Department of Health Care Services, or a predecessor, for psychiatric health facilities shall prevail. The regulations applying to psychiatric health facilities shall prescribe standards of adequacy, safety, and sanitation of the physical plant, of staffing with duly qualified licensed personnel, and of services based on the needs of the persons served thereby.

(b) The regulations shall include standards appropriate for two levels of disorder:

(1) Involuntary ambulatory psychiatric patients.

(2) Voluntary ambulatory psychiatric patients.

For purposes of this subdivision, “ambulatory patients” shall include, but not be limited to, deaf, blind, and physically handicapped persons. Disoriented persons who are not bedridden or confined to a wheelchair shall also be considered as ambulatory patients.

(c) The regulations shall not require, but may permit building and services requirements for hospitals which are only applicable to physical health care needs of patients that can be met in an affiliated hospital or in outpatient settings including, but not limited to, such requirements as surgical, dietary, laboratory, laundry, central supply, radiologic, and pharmacy.

(d) The regulations shall include provisions for an “open planning” architectural concept.

(e) The regulations shall exempt from seismic requirements all structures of Type V and of one-story construction.

(f) Standards for involuntary patients shall include provisions to allow for restraint and seclusion of patients. These standards shall provide for adequate safeguards for patient safety and protection of patient rights.

(g) The regulations shall provide for the retention by the psychiatric health facility of a consultant pharmacist, who shall supervise and review pharmaceutical services within the facility and perform any other services, including prevention of the unlawful diversion of controlled substances subject to abuse, as the State Department of Health Care Services may by regulation require. Regulations adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall take into consideration the varying bed sizes of psychiatric health facilities.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 23, Sec. 11. (AB 82) Effective June 27, 2013.)