October is National Pharmacist Month — a time dedicated to recognizing and thanking pharmacists for the contributions they make in health care. As Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Pharmacy Association, I know firsthand the impact pharmacists make in the lives of patients across our great state. 

Every day, more than 10,000 licensed pharmacists across Arizona meet patient needs locally, providing critical access to care — but they could do even more, if allowed. 

Pharmacists are trained at the doctorate-level and are positioned to address some of the most pressing healthcare issues today. Doctors of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), like other providers, including physicians and nurses, have one primary goal in mind — to use their training and knowledge to improve patient health outcomes. 

Despite Arizona only meeting roughly 35% of primary care needs, state law prevents a Doctor of Pharmacy from practicing to the full extent of their training and education. At a time when patient needs far outweigh provider supply, it is imperative that all health care providers be allowed to do their part in caring for patients. That’s why the Arizona Pharmacy Association is advocating for Arizona lawmakers in the 2026 legislative session to adopt legislation that allows pharmacists to use their education and training, while also giving patients the choice on where they want to go for care. 

This approach would increase flexibility in the state’s health care workforce and allow pharmacists to offer the care they are already educated and trained to provide. It also would remove unnecessary regulations that only serve as barriers for patients trying to access high-quality care, especially in rural and underserved areas. 

Recently, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz encouraged states to evaluate how  pharmacists are being utilized and “free them to be able to provide great service.” Oz encouraged states to use the newly developed $50 million Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to ensure pharmacists could prescribe and dispense medications to help reduce the travel burden for patients in rural communities.  

Pharmacists in many states can already conduct tests for common viruses like strep throat or the flu and initiate treatment themselves. Arizona is not one of those states.  

Arizona pharmacists can conduct tests, but if it comes back positive, that patient must be sent to a clinic or urgent care facility to receive the same test, get the same result, and be prescribed the same medication that a pharmacist could have done originally. 

The patient then must come back to the pharmacy to fill that medication, creating more hurdles for patients. 

Doctors of Pharmacy are trained to do much more than dispense drugs. They are trained to interpret test results, assess and help manage patient conditions, and ensure the best and most effective medication possible. They also play a vital role in ensuring patients have access to high-quality, timely medical care, as they are the closest health care providers for many patients. 

Why are we creating more steps than needed and making it more difficult for patients to access basic medical care? Wait times to see a provider in our state can be weeks or even months long, while urgent care visits often result in hours of waiting before being seen, if resulting in a provider visit at all. In many cases, pharmacists could perform the exact same test and provide the exact same medication from a single location and in far less time, at more convenient times and more affordable for patients.  

This model isn’t untested. Other states, such as Colorado, Idaho, and Montana have already adopted similar measures to improve access to care for patients. Patient safety hasn’t diminished in these states, and physicians are able to focus their limited and already overloaded time on patients with more complicated medical conditions. 

An estimated 89% of Americans live within five miles of a community pharmacy. If a patient wants to avoid waiting for hours at an urgent care clinic and instead go to a local pharmacy to get a test and receive medication, they should be able to. The key is ensuring patients have a choice, especially in rural areas where there are far more pharmacies than there are doctors’ offices. 

As we celebrate National Pharmacist Month, I urge citizens and state lawmakers to support these efforts in the upcoming legislative session. Together, we can make positive changes that will benefit the healthcare system and patients across our great state.

Garet Turner is CEO of the Arizona Pharmacy Association.