In an effort to stay connected with Texas state legislators during the interim, NACDS, the Texas Federation of Drug Stores and our chain pharmacists from HEB, Kroger, Walgreens and United have been engaged in Zoom meetings. Over the past couple of weeks, we have met with nine lawmakers — West Texas State Senators Charles Perry & Kel Seliger, Ft. Worth State Senator Beverly Powell, San Antonio State Representative Phillip Cortez, Houston State Representative Garnet Coleman, El Paso State Representative Lina Ortega, Arlington State Representative Chris Turner, Dallas State Senator Nathan Johnson and Wichita Falls State Representative James Franks. During these meetings, we covered a wide range of issues beyond the great work pharmacist and pharmacies are doing during the pandemic throughout Texas to ensure access to medications, promoting our scope regulatory and legislative agenda, — expanding technician duties and eliminating arbitrary ratios, and enhancing access to immunizations without a prescription. We also urged them to tell Gov. Greg Abbott to allow pharmacists to test now for COVID and treat later when the vaccines become available.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.