Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House committee hears debate on HB 2157 to allow pharmacist COVID test‑and‑treat under statewide protocol
Summary
Proponents told lawmakers HB 2157 would preserve pharmacy test‑and‑treat access after the federal PREP Act expires; opponents, led by the Kansas Medical Society, said COVID‑19 treatment is generally limited to high‑risk cases that should see physicians and raised liability and protocol concerns.
The House Committee on Health and Human Services opened a hearing on House Bill 2157, which would amend KSA 65 16 1 31 to add COVID‑19 to the list of conditions a pharmacist may test and treat under a statewide collaborative protocol.
Carly (the reviser) summarized the bill for the committee, saying it would take effect upon publication in the statute book and would add COVID‑19 to a pharmacist point‑of‑care testing and treatment list currently used for influenza, strep and urinary‑tract infections.
John Monroe, representing the Kansas Association of Chain Drugstores, testified in strong support. "Community pharmacies play a critical role in health care access," Monroe said, and adding COVID‑19 to statute would codify services pharmacists already provide under the federal PREP Act when that authority is…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
