HB1246 Summary

• Authorizes pharmacists to test, screen, and treat influenza and streptococcal pharyngitis within a statewide written protocol approved by the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy and Arkansas State Medical Board, with formulary limited to FDA-approved non-controlled substances.

• Permits pharmacists to write prescriptions for over-the-counter medications, supplies, and devices, and allows automatic generic substitution for therapeutically equivalent medications unless prescriber prohibits substitution in writing or expresses no-substitution intent verbally.

• Requires pharmacists providing point-of-care treatment to hold a state pharmacy license, report influenza diagnoses to the Department of Health, furnish patient records upon request, and maintain records for two years.

• Modifies physician dispensing of legend drugs by allowing delegation of dispensing (previously non-delegable) and expands exemptions to include acute care medications, initial maintenance medication treatment, topical medications, naloxone, nicotine replacement therapy, and contraceptives from board approval requirements.

• Takes effect January 1, 2022.