Pharmacists now can prescribe Paxlovid.

This might be just another step in the process of usurping the states.

With the announcement by the FDA right after the 4th of July celebrations, pharmacists in the US will be able to prescribe Paxlovid, the COVID-19 drug from Pfizer.

Paxlovid is an oral anti-viral pill. Pfizer promotes it as a drug that will reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Sound familiar. Same song, different verse.

The drug is classified as an EUA drug, not having been granted full licensed drug approval. The FDA revised the Emergency Use Authorization statutes to authorize state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe the medication to eligible patients.

The specific authorization falls under Section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act after a declaration by the Secretary of HHS. This in turn modifies the intent of The PREP Act declaration amendments.

There are some limitations. The patient’s health records provided to the pharmacist cannot be older than 12 months. And the FDA directed pharmacists to go with the most recent reports of laboratory blood work.

I guess this is the way to circumvent the patient’s doctors and to get Paxlovid into the hands of patients. More money for Pfizer and now a much desired revenue stream for pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS.

On my podcast, The Right on Point podcast, my guest Dr. James Meehan discusses the dangers of Paxlovid and why our government setout to discredit any and all safety reviews of Ivermectin and HCQ. Click here to watch and listen to Dr. Meehan go step by step.

But I am more concerned about what this does for state regulations of vaccine policy and now drug policy.

It is commonly held that the states decide who can prescribe medicines, who can administer vaccinations and who can disburse medications. The states regulate this with the use of state boards and policy.

Currently 43 states allow pharmacists to prescribe medications for minor aliments, cuts, burns, blister treatments, minor joint pain, yeast infections, acid reflux and the very common hemorrhoid problems.

But now, states are loosing their regulation to the federal government.

In August of 2020, the Secretary of HHS issued an amendment to The PREP Act to allow pharmacists to administer the traditional childhood vaccination schedule to kids as young as three years of age.

I wrote about this in a piece “Did the Federal Government Just Secretly Take Over Vaccine Policy Usurping the Authority of the States?”

Now I ask a very similar question. Is the Federal Government usurping the authority of the States with this action?

It is an EUA regulated drug. So this order could disappear when the EUA status expires. Or by then, Paxlovid might have full regulatory approval. Will pharmacists will authority to continue to prescribe? Who knows?

My questions to HRSA regarding The PREP Act authority to administer childhood vaccines remains in effect until The PREP Act expires in 2024. Or it could be extended. Yet HRSA officials are silent, very silent regarding the sun-downing of any amendment.

I wonder if FDA officials will be the same for this EUA statute?

Stay tuned.

Keep learning, keep challenging yourself and always, always question authority.

Make it a good day.