Arizona

LAPPA Legal Analysis (as of October 2024)

Updating state laws to empower community pharmacists to independently prescribe, monitor, and bill for MOUD would eliminate the cumbersome hurdles of collaborative practice agreements (CPA) —each of which requires forging and maintaining a unique partnership with every patient’s prescriber—and unlock immediate access to OUD care at the neighborhood pharmacy. By removing the need for a formal CPA with a distant clinician, pharmacists could leverage their deep expertise and accessibility to initiate lifesaving treatment the moment someone is ready for help. This approach honors pharmacists working at the top of their license, slashes unnecessary administrative barriers, and expands capacity for evidence-based OUD care exactly where patients already go for health services.

Suggestions for Policy Makers: