NY Pharmacists Seek Prescribing Rights

The Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, which representsindependent pharmacists, plans to lobby legislators to pass a bill that would allow them to write certain prescriptions under written directions from a doctor.

This would allow them to adjust dosages, order lab tests and prescribe for routine illnesses, eg, prescribing antibiotics after a lab test shows a patient has a strep throat, but not diagnosing a patient. With a written protocol from a doctor, they could read lab tests and adjust dosages of a patient's weekly drug regimen.

The independent pharmacists say expanding their functions is critical to survival under managed care, which has cut pharmacists' payments and many prescriptions are filled by mail-order companies and drug store chains. Also, they say, increasing their responsibilities would allow doctors to see more patients, thus increasing doctors' incomes under capitation.