Proposed bill would allow Florida pharmacists to diagnose influenza

In Florida, a proposed bill would give pharmacists the ability to diagnose influenza and begin treatment. Norbert Graber, a local pharmacist, said the bill could save lives. "If you think you have a regular cold and you have the flu, then you wait too long, it could be devastating," he noted. Graber and other proponents for House Bill 431 add that it will free up room and appointments in doctors' offices. However, one critic, a physician from West Palm Beach, expressed concern "about taking the authority for diagnosis out of the realm of medicine. ... I would want there to be checks and balances in the system, possibly an RN involved in the process." Some checks and balances are already included in the bill, including a pharmacist needing to have at least $200,000 dollars in insurance and a doctor recommending a pharmacist for the program.