Arizona ranks 42nd in the country for access to health care services. Nearly two-thirds of the state (65%) is considered medically underserved, and large portions have no primary care physician at all. A mere 35% of primary care needs are being met in Arizona, and according to projections, the state’s health care workforce shortage will worsen. 

How often have you or a loved one been sick with the flu, Covid, or strep throat, only to be told there aren’t appointments available? Your options are likely to either head to an urgent care center, where you could wait for hours, or go to the emergency room, where bills can easily exceed $1,000. What if I told you there was a better option? 

Pharmacists can help. 

That is why I am asking legislators to support Senate Bill 1214, which would allow licensed pharmacists to administer FDA-approved tests that are waived under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and initiate the treatments necessary to treat these common conditions. These tests cover common illnesses like the flu, Covid, and strep throat, and if positive, the pharmacists can prescribe the right medication. 

As a founder of the Kingman Regional Medical Center Disease Management Clinic in Kingman, I’ve seen how difficult it is for patients to access even the most basic health care. As one of the few health care resources available to patients in Mohave County, my clinic sees an average of 450 patients each month. We assist with chronic disease management, and since opening in 2015, established an initiative to eliminate Hepatitis C and increase screening rates to get timely treatment to patients. Collectively we’ve helped to cure 175 patients of Hepatitis C. 

Yet despite our robust training and experience, current Arizona law prevents pharmacists from initiating treatments for common, non-chronic conditions from test results on the same equipment doctors would use. For example, patients frequently show up to my clinic displaying flu-like symptoms that I am trained and capable of testing for and treating. However, I’m forced to tell the patient I can’t do anything for them and can only direct them somewhere else. If urgent care is full, same day visits with local primary care providers are limited, and new patient appointment wait times can be as long as six months.

SB1214 would remove these barriers to ensure pharmacists can provide the care they are already trained and educated to provide. It isn’t about making pharmacists physicians. I don’t want to be a physician. I want to help patients in my community by using my education and training to the fullest extent. 

These changes aren’t unfounded or untested. To date, 30 states authorize pharmacists to administer CLIA-waived tests, and 13 states allow pharmacists to prescribe treatment based on those tests. In these states, patient safety hasn’t been diminished and quality of care hasn’t been hindered.

Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help address ongoing workforce shortages and access to care challenges, while freeing up physicians to focus their time on treating more complex cases. 

An estimated 89 percent of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy. Local pharmacists are even more important for rural communities where healthcare providers are few and far between.

I love being able to serve the Kingman community because I care so deeply for my patients. But the truth is there is more that we as pharmacists can do — changes that can only be made by those elected to represent Arizonians. 

With more than 6-years of education and thousands of clinical hours of experience, the more than 7,500 Arizona pharmacists stand ready to address some of the most pressing healthcare challenges while we continue supporting our local communities. We urge legislators to support SB1214 so that we can collectively improve patient outcomes and access to high-quality healthcare.

Linda P. Williams has been an Arizona pharmacist for 13 years and currently serves as the pharmacy clinical manager for ambulatory care at Kingman Regional Medical Center.