shortage of primary care physicians and other healthcare workers. As state legislative sessions wrap up for the summer, several states are expanding so-called “scope of practice” laws that regulate what healthcare professionals can do amid a push by independent pharmacists as well as big retailers and drugstore chains including Amazon, CVS Health, Walgreens and Walmart to ease regulations on a pharmacist’s scope of practice.
“This is a positive step forward that increases access to timely care for common illnesses like COVID-19, flu, and strep throat,” said Dr. Vin Gupta, Chief Medical Officer of Amazon Pharmacy. The National Community Pharmacists Association says pharmacists in 47 states can test and treat by writing a prescription though it varies on what prescriptions they can prescribe. “In about 34 states pharmacists can do it independently without a collaborative agreement or prescription," a spokeswoman with NCPA said.