Michigan pharmacies will be able to continue to dispense emergency refills for up to 60 days’ worth of medication after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended an executive order designed to make accessing medications easier during the coronavirus pandemic.
The order allows pharmacists to dispense emergency refills of up to 60 days’ worth of medication, as well as requires an insurer to cover early refills for up to 90 days’ worth of supply. The executive order also allows pharmacists to dispense treatments for COVID-19 according to government protocols.
“As we continue to suppress the spread of COVID-19, Michiganders need to continue to stay safer at home,” Whitmer said in a statement. “By allowing patients to get a refill of their prescriptions for up to 60 days from a pharmacists, people can reduce their time traveling and in turn lower the chance of a second wave of COVID-19.”
The order also allows a pharmacist to temporarily operate a pharmacy in an area not designated on the pharmacy license.
This is the second time that this order has been extended. It was originally issued on March 25 and was extended on April 21. The latest re-issuance is set to expire on June 16.
As the coronavirus pandemic has continued to spread throughout Michigan, Whitmer has extended several executive orders, including those related to driver’s licenses, evictions and delivery of COVID-19 related goods.
Michigan currently has more than 52,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service. More than 28,000 are recovered as of May 15.
The City of Detroit is currently the hardest-hit area in the state, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city. The death toll for the city is 1,276.
The death toll for the state is currently 5,017.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
