State-run pharmacy boards are beginning to relax restrictions on pharmacist licensing and dispensing to help the nation battle the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bloomberg Law.
At least 13 states have offered some leeway for pharmacy professionals, according to the report.
Some of the biggest regulation changes include allowing remote work, giving pharmacists more autonomy to handle certain prescriptions and allowing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to practice out-of-state.
Georgia, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia and Texas already have loosened restrictions to allow out-of-state pharmacists to practice in their communities, according to the report.
"That'll be helpful if one state is particularly heavy hit, so they can get out-of-state help," Rachel Yount, a healthcare regulatory attorney at Mintz, told Bloomberg Law.
In many states, the goal of the relaxed regulations is to expand access to medication during the pandemic. Many patients are able to refill prescriptions early or get a larger dose than prescribed.
Kalie Richardson, a lawyer at Hyman Phelps & McNamara, who advises clients on pharmacy regulatory requirements, told the publication that some of these temporary changes could end up permanent if they add efficiencies to pharmacy operations.
The number of states that will ease burdens for pharmacies and pharmacists is likely to increase as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, Bloomberg Law reports.