Guest Author
January is here, and many Floridians accustomed to year-round sunshine are being hit with the harsh reality that winter is here to stay. This chilly season brings more than just low temperatures — it also means increased cold and flu cases and a heightened need for the medications that can make us all feel better.
With Florida facing a potential public health and patient access crisis, our state now has an opportunity to address that urgent need — and it’s in a way unfamiliar to most.
Telepharmacy, a hybrid form of pharmacy service that allows those in hard-to-reach areas access to necessary medical care and medications, could be the answer to our problem. It broadens the range of pharmacy care, ultimately expanding pharmacists’ ability to help patients beyond just the single storefront where they work.
I know firsthand what a tremendous benefit telepharmacy can be — it granted access to the relief I needed on the other side of the world.
Before serving as a Florida Senator, I spent 23 years in the armed forces as a Special Forces Medic, a Green Beret, and as part of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. From harrowing situations like rescuing a hypothermic soldier in the middle of an ice storm to performing surgery on myself in the heat of combat, I saw the vital importance of accessing care in faraway areas.
Telepharmacy was critical to my survival and that of many of my comrades while overseas. Through this remote model, I was able to contact medical professionals in distant locations, benefiting from support from experts that augmented medical care, increased accessibility and assuredly helped save lives. This ability to access pharmacy care did more than simply keep me comfortable — in some cases, it proved lifesaving.
While my experience with this hybrid pharmacy process stemmed from my time in a foreign land, the process isn’t all that foreign for most of our nation.
In 27 states across the country, a remote dispensing policy landscape is already in place. The problem is — the Sunshine State isn’t one of them.
That isn’t due to lack of need. While Florida has added over 1 million residents since 2019, only 1,500 pharmacists have been added to meet the ever-growing demand, sparking concerns about a potential public health and patient access crisis.
Now, Florida has a distinct opportunity to address this need by bringing a hybrid model of pharmacy to our communities through legislation I filed for the 2024 Legislative Session. Through the pharmacy model envisioned in SB 444/HB 493, Florida pharmacists would be able to supervise technicians, verify prescriptions and counsel patients remotely — without needing to be physically present at the pharmacy location.
As we enter this Legislative Session and address the health challenges brought along with this new year, I urge my colleagues to consider this new process. This Session, we will have a real chance to stand for expanded patient access that could alleviate much of the burden of providing pharmacy care.
___
Sen. Jay Collins of Tampa represents Florida Senate District 14. He is a highly-decorated Army Special Forces combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient with over two decades of service.
