ATLANTA -- Georgia nurses and pharmacists have more authority to respond to the spreading swine flu outbreak and the governor has more power as the result of legislation Gov. Sonny Perdue signed this morning.
The Access to Flu Vaccines Act cosponsored by the druggists in the House, including Reps. Ron Stephens and Buddy Carter of Savannah and health-policy expert Mickey Channell of Greensboro, is designed to make it easier for Georgians to receive shots and for the state to respond quicker.
Pharmacists and nurses will now be able to dispense flue shots without individual prescriptions. It was needed after the Composite Board of Medical Examiners accepted advice from the Attorney General’s Office last fall in concluding that prescriptions were needed under the law.
The new legislation legitimizes the state’s practice for the last decade in permitting doctors to issue standing orders. It also specifically permits hospitals authority to offer vaccinations or tests when recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [The CDC: FAIL - ed.]
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