The short answer to this question is, yes, however it depends on the state the pharmacy is practicing in.
Pharmacists complete a doctoral program with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree where they receive 4 years of clinical training. Many pharmacists continue their education by pursuing fellowships and residencies that further add to their clinical knowledge and training.
Despite this high level of education, pharmacists cannot simply prescribe medications independently at a federal level. There are different circumstances in which a pharmacist may prescribe including standing orders, collaborative practice agreements, and pharmacists with provider status or broad prescriptive authority.
The differences in pharmacists’ prescribing power is the lack of consistency in Provider Status at a federal level.
Pharmacists have provider status in at least 37 states, however over the past several years many state policies have progressed to allow pharmacist provider status.
Having provider status gives pharmacists the incentive to expand their services such as in Idaho, where pharmacists may now prescribe over 20 categories of medications independently of any other healthcare provider. Granting Idaho pharmacists provider status not only allows them to prescribe, but gives them the ability to be reimbursed for their services.
The Social Security Act (SSA) provides a list of providers including physicians, physician’s assistants, certified nurse practitioners, qualified psychologists, clinical social workers, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, but not pharmacists.
This is important because the SSA also determines the eligibility for patient care services to be covered by entities such as Medicare Part B. Many state and private health plans generally use Medicare part B as a point of reference for services that they choose to cover.
While pharmacists have the clinical knowledge and expertise to expand their scope of practice, not having provider status limits their ability to be reimbursed from medical services.
Pharmacists that work in more clinical practice settings may expand the services they provide under a Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA).
A CPA is a formal agreement in which a licensed provider makes a diagnosis and supervises patient care, then refers patients to a pharmacist under protocol to perform specific patient care services.
Under a CPA, pharmacists may use their clinical knowledge and expertise without their services being limited by policy and compensation barriers.
Another circumstance in which a pharmacist may dispense prescription medications without a prescription is a Standing Order. A standing order is a pre-written order from a licensed practitioner (often a Medical Doctor) to dispense a medication in clearly defined circumstances.
Most states have a state-wide standing order for pharmacists to dispense naloxone. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that works by blocking the effects of opioids in the brain. Naloxone can be a life-saving medication in the event of an opioid overdose. Standing orders have been put in place to increase access to this life-saving medication and even allows for people to purchase the medication online.
Another common example of standing orders is the use of emergency medications by Emergency Medical Services personnel for life support. These orders are in place for situations where a delay in treatment could result in harm to the patient.
By understanding the regulations that apply to pharmacists’ prescriptive authority in each state, pharmacies can begin to pursue the addition of specific clinical services to their service offerings.
These clinical services don’t just have the potential to bring in thousands of additional revenue for pharmacies each year, but also better serve communities increasingly facing physician shortages and long wait times to receive treatment. Pharmacists expanding their scope of practice makes communities healthier.
If you’re a pharmacist beginning to investigate offering prescriptions directly to your patients, we can help. We can answer any state- or treatment-specific questions you have via a free consultation.
