New law allows pharmacists to test for and treat the flu
CALLED THE CHARGES AGAINST ARE,
QUOTE, MANUFACTURED.
A NEW LAW. NOW, IN EFFECT, WILL
SAVE FAMILIES TIME AND MONEY.
THIS FLU SEASON AND WRAL'S
HEALTH REPORTER GRACE TABLE.
JOINING US NOW IN STUDIO GRACE.
THIS ALL HAS TO DO WITH TESTING
AND TREATING AN INFECTION.
YEAH. THIS NEW LAW ESSENTIALLY
MAKES PHARMACIES A ONE-STOP
SHOP WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING
SICK.
>> WITH THE FLU, WHAT I KNOW
SOME OF YOU RIGHT NOW WATCHING
THIS MIGHT BE THINKING, WELL,
WASN'T THIS HOW THINGS ARE
ALREADY WERE IN THE ANSWER IS
NO. SO HERE'S WHY THIS LAW IS A
BIG DEAL FOR OUR NORTH CAROLINA
FAMILIES. IF YOU OR SOMEONE
IN YOUR FAMILY GOT SICK BEFORE
TODAY, YOU FIRST HAVE TO REACH
OUT TO YOUR DOCTOR TO BE SEEN.
AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY, THEY'D
SQUEEZE YOU IN LAST MINUTE FOR
AN APPOINTMENT THAT DAY AND
THEN YOU HAVE TO GET THERE.
WE'LL SECONDLY YOU WOULD HAVE
TO HAVE YOUR DOCTOR, RIGHT?
YOU A PRESCRIPTION FOR
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TAMIFLU.
AND AFTER DOING ALL OF THAT,
YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO TO
A PHARMACY TO GET YOUR
PRESCRIPTION FILLED. IT'S A LOT
OF TIME AND A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT NOW AS OF TODAY, YOU ONLY
HAVE TO DO ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT GO TO YOUR LOCAL
PHARMACY.
>> STARTING OCTOBER FIRST WILL
BE ABLE TO DO TESTING.
WHEN YOU'RE TESTING FOR
PATIENTS DIRECTLY HERE IN THE
PHARMACY. AND IF HIS POSITIVE
ALMOST KILLED HER, WRITE A
PRESCRIPTION FOR THE PATIENT,
IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE IN THE
HOME, THIS POTENTIALLY GOING TO
BE EXPOSED, WE CAN DO
PROPHYLACTIC PRESCRIPTION FOR
THAT PERSON FOR TAMIFLU.
>> MEDICATIONS, LIKE TAMIFLU
WORK BEST FOR FLU. WHEN YOU
TAKE THEM WITHIN 2 DAYS OF YOUR
FIRST SYMPTOMS. SO IT'S CRUCIAL
TO START THOSE MEDICATIONS
EARLY TO REDUCE SERIOUS
INFECTIONS. PHARMACIST SAY THIS
LAW IS GOING TO HELP THEM
BETTER SERVE OUR MOST
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. THIS
CHANGE COMES IN THE WAKE OF
NORTH CAROLINA'S WORST FLU
SEASON ON RECORD WITH MORE THAN
540 DEATHS REPORTED AS OF
TODAY. NOW SEASONAL FLU SHOTS
ARE STILL RECOMMENDED FOR
EVERYONE. 6 MONTHS AND OLDER.
YOUR BEST WAY TO REDUCE YOUR
RISK OF SEVERE ILLNESS. AND
RIGHT NOW, PERFECT TIME TO GO
AND GET THEM. THEY SAY EARLY
OCTOBER IS GREAT BECAUSE THE
VIRUS HASN'T STARTED TO RAMP
UP YET. THOSE VACCINATION
APPOINTMENTS ARE EASY TO
SCHEDULE. YOU CAN DO SO RIGHT