Nominee Tony Waits stresses rural pharmacy access and PBM challenges during reappointment hearing

Tony Waits appeared before the committee to introduce himself as a reappointment to the board of pharmacy, describe his pharmacy ownership and recent election as mayor of Prentice, and highlight access problems facing rural residents.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be before you today,” Waits said, identifying himself as from Prentice and noting he had served five years on the board. He warned that “pharmacy services are big percent of what is spent on health care now in the state,” and described how pharmacies provided vaccination access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Waits told committee members that rural communities are increasingly facing “pharmacy deserts, areas that are not don't have, pharmacies there,” which limits access to routine care and counseling from pharmacists. He framed the board’s central duty as protecting the public while balancing access to services and rising pharmacy-related spending.

Senator Fillinga, who addressed the panel during the same nomination discussion, urged support for Waits’s nomination and said local residents and officials “think very highly of the pharmacist,” citing long familiarity with his service in Jefferson Davis County.

The committee later took up multiple nominations in a block and approved them by voice vote; the transcript records the outcome as “Ayes have it” but does not provide a numeric tally. The committee did not record further instructions for the board of pharmacy during this appearance; next steps are the standard administrative processing of reappointments.