Pharmacists Get Licensing Leeway to Help Fight Virus Pandemic

State-run pharmacy boards around the country are mirroring federal efforts to relax restrictions for health-care workers by easing local rules on licensing and drug distribution as the nation battles a pandemic.

At least thirteen states have offered some kind of reprieve for pharmacy professionals. Some of the biggest changes are green-lighting remote work, giving pharmacists more autonomy to handle certain prescriptions, and allowing out-of-state pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to practice locally if they’re licensed elsewhere. Some states, such as Arizona and California, are also letting out-of-state drug distributors sell products to local pharmacies, which could ease bottlenecks in local supply ...