New laws expanding pharmacists' scope of practice have spurred Walmart, Walgreens and CVS to roll out patient care options that typically would be available only through a physician's office, Bloomberg reported Aug. 28.
On Aug. 28, Walmart said pharmacists are now providing testing and treatment services for strep throat, flu and COVID-19 in 12 states. Patients can walk into a pharmacy or schedule an appointment through the retail chain's mobile app. Meanwhile, Walgreens will soon have similar services in 13 states and CVS plans to evaluate symptoms and prescribe cough suppressants in 10 states, though it will not offer tests. Services could be costly through the major retailers, however, as they are currently cash-only. Through Walmart, tests will cost between $59 and $88, while assessments will cost $70.
Through these expansions, the retail chains aim to attract patients who may be looking to avoid a more time-consuming visit to their physician's office, as well as people more likely to skip care because of access issues.
"Pharmacists have been clinically trained to do these types of services for many, many years," Kevin Host, PharmD, Walmart's senior vice president of pharmacy, told Bloomberg. "Now we're starting to get the states and regulations in place that allow pharmacists at the top of their training."
According to the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, 178 bills in 38 states related to pharmacists' scope of practice and payment were introduced in legislative sessions last year. Forty-four of them became law by the end of the year, including some that authorized pharmacists to offer care services for minor conditions. Every state now recognizes collaborative practice agreements between pharmacists and physicians, though some have expanded pharmacists' role to allow them to prescribe medications for a range of conditions outside of these agreements.
Medical groups including the American Medical Association have long opposed nonphysician scope of practice expansions, citing concerns over the differences in training and patient safety risks. Advocates for expanding pharmacists' skill sets say it improves access to care.