Bill would allow Arizona pharmacists to prescribe treatment for certain common illnesses

Should Arizona pharmacists be able to provide treatments for certain common illnesses? The state Legislature is weighing that question.

House Bill 2444 would allow pharmacists to test for flu, strep or COVID-19 and, if the test is positive, the pharmacist could dispense the appropriate treatment and save the patient a trip to their primary care provider for a prescription.

More than half of states already allow this, Dianne McCallister with the Arizona Pharmacy Association said during a House Health and Human Services Committee hearing Monday. McCallister said it gives patients easier access to care.

“For common illnesses like flu, strep and COVID, patients often can’t access care in time,” McCallister said. “By the time a patient sees a primary care provider, the window to start treatment like Tamiflu has often passed, resulting in more missed school, missed work and prolonged illnesses.”

Only a few very common illnesses are included in the bill. And an amendment to the bill specifies that pharmacists could only offer treatment to patients over the age of 10.

But Amanda Sheinson with the Arizona Medical Association argued pharmacists don’t have the right training to prescribe these treatments.

“For a certain percentage of the population that have very straightforward illnesses, sure this might be fine, but do you want to take the risk that you, or your child, or your parent is one of the few people that would have severe complications?” Sheinson said during the Monday hearing.

The bill passed out of the committee on a 7 to 5 vote with bipartisan support and opposition. It now heads to the full House.