AMA raises concern about pharmacists providing antiviral therapy.
In President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, he announced the launch of a Test and Treat Initiative, where consumers testing positive for COVID-19 at certain pharmacies will be given antiviral therapy by an on-site provider on the spot and at no cost.
However, there’s already a debate about who should be able to prescribe these antiviral pills as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began distributing them in the last few weeks.
The American Medical Association (AMA) expressed concern about the initiative allowing a provider without an established patient-doctor relationship with the consumer to prescribe the pills. In other words, the AMA is uncomfortable with pharmacists or anyone else without an ongoing and well-established medical relationship with the patient prescribing anything under the initiative. According to the AMA, one of the antivirals to be prescribed has over six pages of drug interactions that would require patients to modify or even stop other prescriptions they are taking. The organization stated that prescribing these without full patient history and ongoing monitoring sets a very dangerous precedent because while these pharmacy-based clinics are equipped to treat simple conditions, COVID-19 and the antiviral medications that treat it are too complicated for this on-site service.
On the flip side, pharmacists believe they should be able to prescribe the antivirals if the initiative hopes to meet its stated goal of providing the most vulnerable and underserved Americans with access to lifesaving treatment. Pharmacists believe that expanding the power to prescribe these pills beyond just on-site providers would not only expand access to the initiative but also would be an obvious and safe choice considering pharmacists’ extensive knowledge of medication and side effects.
When asked about the reach of the initiative, pharmacists say that not only should the program be expanded to include a lot more pharmacies nationwide, but that the best way to do that would be to allow them to prescribe the antiviral pills. However, currently the Test and Treat initiative limits participating pharmacies to just those with onsite clinics with a provider.
These types of pharmacies are far less likely to be found in rural and sparsely populated areas. For example, CVS Minute Clinics, which would be eligible to prescribe antivirals under the initiative, make up only 10 percent of all CVS Pharmacies. By limiting the ability to prescribe the antiviral pills to these pharmacies with on-site providers, thousands of other pharmacies across America are ineligible to participate, many in areas that serve some of the hardest hit populations and populations without insurance.
Additionally, pharmacists also believe they would be the perfect prescribers of the antiviral pills. In fact, they say they have already been prescribing some COVID treatments since last year under other federal statutes. Pharmacists also have extensive knowledge about medication, of course, and understand potential interactions and side effects. When asked about the issue, one professor of pharmacy even called pharmacists “medication experts”.
After the AMA issued a statement about their concerns, the Biden administration encouraged people who do have a regular health care provider to continue seeing that provider for testing or when they’ve received a positive COVID-19 test at a treatment site. This appears to have pacified the AMA and other physicians’ worries for the time being. However, there is still a very real concern for Americans without insurance and without access to a primary care physician.
As antiviral pills have begun arriving at pharmacies that signed up for the initiative, a federal website to search and find locations has yet to fully launch but is expected by months end.
With COVID-19 cases falling, increased vaccine and testing availability, and now increased treatment options, Americans are rapidly moving towards a new normal as we hit the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 lockdowns.
As the federal government shutdown drags on, an alarming message began circulating across the healthcare community: “physicians won’t get paid until the government reopens.” The
“PAYGO” (Pay-As-You-Go) refers to a budget enforcement rule designed to impose fiscal discipline: when lawmakers pass legislation that increases mandatory spending or reduces revenue without
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Uncover essential coding insights with nationally recognized coding authority Kay Piper, RHIA, CDIP, CCS. Through ICD10monitor’s interactive, on‑demand webcast series, Kay walks you through the AHA’s 2026 ICD‑10‑CM/PCS Quarterly Coding Clinics, translating each update into practical, easy‑to‑apply guidance designed to sharpen precision, ensure compliance, and strengthen day‑to‑day decision‑making. Available shortly after each official release.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s fourth quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s third quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s second quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Federal auditors are intensifying their focus on inpatient psychiatric facilities, using advanced data analytics to spotlight outliers and pursue high‑dollar repayments. In this high‑impact webcast, Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, Compliance Officer and V.P., Hospital & Physician Compliance, breaks down what regulators are really targeting in IPF-PPS admissions, documentation, treatment and discharge planning. Attendees will learn practical steps to tighten processes, avoid common audit triggers and protect reimbursement and reduce the risk of multimillion-dollar repayment demands.
In this timely session, Stacey Shillito, CDIP, CPMA, CCS, CCS-P, CPEDC, COPC, breaks down the complexities of Medical Decision Making (MDM) documentation so providers can confidently capture the true complexity of their care. Attendees will learn practical, efficient strategies to ensure documentation aligns with current E/M guidelines, supports accurate coding, and reduces audit risk, all without adding to charting time.
Join Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM for The PEPPER Returns – Risk and Opportunity at Your Fingertips, a practical webcast that demystifies the PEPPER and shows you how to turn complex claims data into actionable insights. Dr. Hirsch will explain how to interpret key measures, identify compliance risks, uncover missed revenue opportunities, and understand new updates in the PEPPER, all to help your organization stay ahead of audits and use this powerful data proactively.
Stay ahead of the 2026-2027 audit surge with “Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue,” a high-impact webcast led by Michael Calahan, PA, MBA. This concise session gives hospitals and physicians clear insight into the most likely federal audit targets, such as E/M services, split/shared and critical care, observation and admissions, device credits, and Two-Midnight Rule changes, and shows how to tighten documentation, coding, and internal processes to reduce denials, recoupments, and penalties. Attendees walk away with practical best practices to protect revenue, strengthen compliance, and better prepare their teams for inevitable audits.
Happy National Doctor’s Day! Learn how to get a complimentary webcast on ‘Decoding Social Admissions’ as a token of our heartfelt appreciation! Click here to learn more →
BLOOM INTO SAVINGS! Get 25% OFF during our spring sale through March 27. Use code SPRING26 at checkout to claim this offer.
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 1 with code CYBER25
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
