Governor Authorizes Pharmacists to Order and Administer COVID-19 Tests During Emergency Declaration
In an order signed today, April 24, 2020, Governor Andy Beshear under Executive Order 2020-215 ordered that during the State of Emergency, "the practice of pharmacy" shall include the initiating, ordering and administering of COVID-19 tests under the following circumstances:
a) the pharmacist has received the appropriate education and training on COVID-19 testing;
b) the ordering and administering of COVID-19 tests are performed at a pharmacy which holds an active CLIA certificate of waiver, if such waiver is required by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and/or the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS);
c) the ordering and administering of COVID-19 tests are performed according to the testing priorities set forth by the Kentucky Department of Public Health;
d) the pharmacist orders and administers the COVID-19 tests, including serology tests, authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration;
e) policies and procedures are in place to address collection, storage and transport of samples as appropriate to testing performed.
The order will be in effect for the duration of the State of Emergency under Executive Order 2020-215 or until the Order is rescinded.
Pharmacists are advised to read the entire order and Kentucky Board of Pharmacy correspondence which is available
here
.
