County clinic to stop on-site dispensing; employees will use mail-order or local pharmacies starting May 1

Dougherty County announced on March 17 that, effective May 1, 2025, the county clinic model will change so that medications will no longer be dispensed on-site.

Erica Potts, the county's human resources director, told commissioners the clinic currently operates with a full-time nurse practitioner (NP), a part-time NP and a part-time physician who provides limited hours. Potts said county staff reviewed Georgia law and found physicians are required to dispense medications; because the clinic does not have a full-time physician present, the clinic will stop dispensing and will continue to provide prescriptions. Potts cited a Georgia code reference provided in the meeting as the basis for the dispensing requirement.

Potts said employees can obtain medications via mail order through the clinic or from local retail pharmacies. She said there are 18 pharmacies within a 10-mile radius that will dispense medications and that employees should download a prescription card from the Care ATC portal; the county will assist employees who are not computer-savvy by providing HR support and computer access to download the card.

County administrators said the only way to restore on-site dispensing would be to secure a full-time medical doctor at the clinic. The county will circulate instructions and literature to employees explaining the options and how to access mail order or local pharmacy services without out-of-pocket cost when processed through the clinic program.

No change to the ability to receive prescriptions was announced; the change affects only on-site dispensing of medications.