RESOLUTION NO: 117-1-21
TITLE: State Boards of Pharmacy Response to Pandemics and Other Natural Disasters
ACTION: PASS
WHEREAS, NABP and its member state boards of pharmacy effectively reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emergency through concerted coordination; and
WHEREAS, NABP and the state boards of pharmacy acquired new information and became knowledgeable about how to best prepare for such emergencies; and
WHEREAS, all stakeholders would benefit from sharing such information through NABP; and
WHEREAS, pharmacists are on the front lines and are the most accessible health care providers to patients, especially during public health emergencies; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Health and Human Services has authorized state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests and vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, to patients aged three years and older;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, post-pandemic, NABP encourage states to continue to allow pharmacists to provide all point-of-care testing and vaccinations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NABP encourage state boards of pharmacy to plan for future pandemics and other natural disasters, and develop guidance for boards to do so. Such guidance may include amending the Model State Pharmacy Act and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to address pharmacist care services, such as point-of-care testing and vaccinations.
(Resolution passed at the 117th Annual Meeting.)