Is the word "pharmacy" somehow special in signage? In California, anyway?

There's a new Rite-Aid drug store going up near the kids' school. It looks to be all but complete except for interior decoration and stock. All of the construction debris is gone, plastic is peeled off things, etc. - except that three instances of "Pharmacy" in the signage (two as part of the big Rite-Aid signs, one by itself over the door) are carefully tarped over. It can't be to protect them, because all kinds of other delicate finish details are exposed to paint, dirt, dust, etc.

I can only figure it has something to do with store, pharmacy or signage licensing or regulations - but I can't imagine quite what or why.

Any ideas?

Well, I am not familiar with California law, but I'm sure it has to do with pharmacy licensing requirements. And, with half the employees of the regulating state agency on furlough, it may be a while before they can remove the tarp.

My guess would be that you can't put a sign on some place saying it's a pharmacy if it ain't open yet. Otherwise some guy panting down the street sees the sign, staggers over to get nitroglycerine tablets, and discovers too late that it was all a mirage.