Recently, the California Department
of Consumer Affairs issued an Order to allow approximately 6,500
licensed pharmacies in the state to begin performing COVID19 tests without having to coordinate with a patient’s
diagnosing or primary care provider. The Order waives sections of California’s Business and Professions Code
that interfere with pharmacists’ ability to authorize tests for COVID 19,
including a waiver of provisions that would prevent pharmacists from physically
collecting the specimens.
This
Order follows a recent “call to action” that was sent out to Good
Neighbor Pharmacies urging California independent pharmacists to contact
Governor Newson and ask him to remove barriers to pharmacist testing in the
state. ABC Government Affairs is pleased to highlight this positive development
and would like to congratulate California pharmacists and pharmacy advocacy
organizations and thank the Newsom administration for acting. The Department’s
Order will increase access to patient care and aid California independent
pharmacists in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another
notable and first in the nation win for pharmacists came as a result of the
passage of MN
SF 13 in the Minnesota Legislature. On May 27th 2020,
Governor Walz signed this comprehensive Health and Human Services omnibus bill
providing pharmacists the authority to allow them to administer Food and
Drug Administration-authorized COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to eligible
individuals, when a vaccine becomes available.