Alaska pharmacists will be able to provide a broader range of healthcare services beginning Jan. 1, 2027, under a new state law that expands their scope of practice.
The law allows pharmacists to provide medication management and test and treat common conditions such as strep throat, urinary tract infections and the flu. It also removes state fees and approval requirements for collaborative practice agreements between pharmacists and physicians, making those arrangements easier to establish.
The legislation requires prescribers to offer a naloxone prescription alongside qualifying opioid prescriptions and adds continuing education requirements in pain management and opioid use for pharmacists seeking a federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration, a step supporters say could eventually let pharmacists prescribe medications for opioid use disorder.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the legislation, citing concerns that it would expand pharmacists’ scope of practice too quickly. Alaska lawmakers later overrode the veto, allowing the measure to become law.
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