Action | Pharmacy working conditions |
Stage | Emergency/NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 11/22/2023 |
As a patient, it's frustrating to walk up to the pharmacy to hear the pharmacist cold calling patients to see if they want their prescriptions refilled while simultaneously working on filling prescriptions. How many distractions are we going to let corporate pharma put on our pharmacists while our safety is on the line? My pharmacist told me about this update to the code and that we could comment on it, so I took a look. AND I LOVE IT!! These regulations empower the pharmacists, taking my care out of corporate hands and giving it back to the person in the white coat across from me. Paragraph C drives that home: "A pharmacy permit holder shall not override the control of the pharmacist on duty regarding all aspects of the practice of pharmacy..." I also appreciate that the regulations provide a state governed process that allows the pharmacist to petition corporate for more help without reprisal. This lets our pharmacists have a say in right-sizing the staff they need to make sure my prescriptions are sound. I hope this isn't a temporary fix. Our pharmacists need to stay in charge of our care; let's not give it back to some corporate suit.