Guest Author
As vaccines continue to protect more and more Floridians from the harmful impacts of COVID-19, we’ve all witnessed the importance of our state being ready to distribute and administer vaccines quickly and effectively.
For that to happen, we need as many qualified, dedicated health care professionals as possible involved in the process.
Thanks to an executive order by the Florida Surgeon General, pharmacists are able to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to residents across the state. Because it’s easier for Floridians to get to pharmacists than to many other health care professionals, this directive has given lifesaving protection from COVID-19 to many Floridians who may not have gotten the vaccine otherwise.
But once the health care crisis subsides and the executive order expires, these highly qualified pharmacists won’t be able to similarly help mitigate dangerous new diseases that may arise.
That’s why it’s so important that we enlist pharmacists as a long-term boost to Florida’s overwhelmed health care industry.
Sen. Dennis Baxley and Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin, along with Sen. Danny Burgess and Rep. Fiona Fuller McFarland are championing this issue with legislation that would allow pharmacists to better meet the health needs of more Floridians.
Opening up the administration of any approved vaccines to pharmacists would make it more feasible for all Floridians to receive vaccines, but especially those who are vulnerable and might need them most.
When our brilliant community of scientists and health care professionals creates a new vaccine to combat as-yet-unknown diseases, we will need as many medical professionals as possible readily available to administer it across the state.
Pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians have shown they are fully capable of safely administering vaccines, so we should let them be a part of broader solutions.
They can also provide much-needed support in managing and treating diseases that have been around for a while, such as the flu. If pharmacists could help vaccinate and treat symptoms for these diseases, there would be less burden on other medical professionals like doctors and nurse practitioners.
We have seen how effectively the current executive order has advanced the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and made more Floridians safe from the virus. It’s important that we codify what is already being allowed and is proven to work for our residents to meet their health care needs.
We are still battling COVID-19 and its devastating impacts, and we all hope nothing like it ever plagues our nation again. But as we learned from this unprecedented experience, we must be well-prepared in the event another widespread disease outbreak threatens public health.
Allowing qualified pharmacists to deliver a range of vaccines and care for Floridians is a key part of this vital preparation.
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Skylar Zander is the Florida director for Americans for Prosperity. Scott Shalley is the president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation.
