Pharmacists are trained professionals who dispense prescription medications and counsel patients on the safe and appropriate use of medications. They may also conduct health and wellness screenings, provide immunizations, oversee the ordering of medications and provide advice on healthy lifestyles. Pharmacists can work in pharmacies in a variety of settings, including independent pharmacies, retail clinics, general merchandise stores, grocery stores, hospitals and other health care facilities, among others.
The links on the right lead to maps showing a comparison of all states and territories for the following four policy areas:
1) administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.
2) prescription adaptation.
3) prescription of hormonal contraceptives.
4) prescription of tobacco cessation aids.
Choose a tab to explore different options. For more detailed information, please click on a state or territory.
Pharmacists:
Prescription Adaptation
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LEGEND
- Pharmacists may modify prescriptions
- Pharmacists may not modify prescriptions
- Information is not currently available
Prescription adaptation can be defined as pharmacists modifying medication regimens from the original prescriber to improve a patient’s health outcome, either independently or in collaboration with the original prescriber (e.g., physician, nurse practitioner). This can include modifying the quantity of a prescription (e.g., changing a 30-day supply to a 60-day supply) or switching a patient to a different medication that has the same effect as the previously prescribed drug (i.e., therapeutic substitution).
The adaptation cannot change the type of medication or the outcome that the original prescriber intended. Some states have used this as a way to help patients in rural areas to avoid unnecessary travel to the doctor’s office to modify a prescription.
Policy areas for Pharmacists
Administration of COVID-19 Vaccine
Prescription of Hormonal Contraceptives
Prescription of Tobacco Cessation Aids
Practitioner Scope of Practice
- Behavioral Health Providers
- Nurse Practitioners
- Optometrists
- Oral Health Providers
- Pharmacists
- Physician Assistants