A bill that would allow pharmacists to test and treat the flu and strep infections was stalled Tuesday in a state Senate committee meeting, after pushback from physicians and committee members about patients bypassing their primary care providers.
SB 524, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, would have given pharmacists the ability to conduct a basic swab test for flu or strep throat and dispense treatment such as prescription Tamiflu or antibiotics, without patients going to the doctor first to be diagnosed.
Though the bill would have required pharmacists to undergo an eight hour certification course, multiple physicians cited concerns at the meeting that pharmacists would still not have the medical training to adequately diagnose the flu or any complications a patient might have from a basic test.
“This is about access for someone who doesn’t have a physician at all,” Brandes said, adding he hopes to bring the legislation back next year.