SWFL pharmacist happy that licensed pros will administer coronavirus tests

A longtime Southwest Florida pharmacist who recently sold his shop said he and several other pharmacists he knows are happy they now have the green light to help test our communities for the coronavirus.

Ross Webb has been a pharmacist for more than 50 years. He owned the Fort Myers Prescription Shop and is a member of the Florida Pharmacy Association.

Webb said he’s been pushing for the state to let pharmacies help with COVID-19 testing for the past month.

“All the things we do in a pharmacy anyway and all the injections we give and things like that, we’re qualified to do it now,” Webb said.

Now, pharmacists will be able to help after Gov. Ron DeSantis directed Florida’s surgeon general to allow licensed pharmacists to order and administer tests for COVID-19.

Webb said he isn’t sure how local pharmacists will get the test at this point, but he is hoping to see pharmacists testing for COVID-19 within the next two weeks.

“It’s the logical thing to do because there’s more pharmacies around, and it will be very easy to train to do this,” Webb said. “And it’s a lot safer for the patient to go into the pharmacy than to go into the doctor’s office at this point.”

It’s something Webb thinks will help in two major ways: widespread testing and less economic impact.

“The most important thing of this whole thing is to get the people tested,” Webb said. “Once they’re tested and we know what the situation is, then we can quarantine the people that need to be quarantined and keep the people that are safe to be out in the community out making money and earning a living.”