Over the past few months, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued several Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) declarations and guidance documents related to pharmacy-based COVID-19 care and services. These declarations have granted significant regulatory flexibilities and new authorities to pharmacists, student pharmacists (referred to as pharmacy interns), and pharmacy technicians. With everything going on these days, it can be challenging to keep track of it all, so here’s a summary of these HHS announcements and the requirements that pharmacists must satisfy before ordering and administering COVID-19 tests and vaccines, and requirements that pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians must satisfy before administering vaccines, pursuant to these PREP ACT declarations.
