Senate and Assembly Pass Stavisky-Hyndman Bill Allowing Pharmacies to Administer All Vaccines Approved By CDC

Albany, NY- This week, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed critical legislation to help protect some of the state’s most medically underserved communities. This legislation, sponsored by Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman (D-Rosedale), will significantly increase the number of vaccinations licensed pharmacists are allowed to administer, by reversing decades long restrictions that made access to other inoculations extremely difficult for many rural communities and communities of color.

COVID-19 exposed a troubling truth: low-income New Yorkers, as well as those in rural areas, lack access to healthcare. Studies have shown that pharmacist-provided immunizations substantially increase overall immunization rates, because people intuitively trust their local pharmacist. This legislation will allow licensed pharmacists to administer all vaccines approved by the Centers for Disease Control, which will help reduce morbidity and mortality rates across the state by preventing these diseases.  

Senator Toby Ann Stavisky: “New York and New Hampshire are the only two states that do not allow licensed pharmacists to administer all vaccines approved by the CDC. In many rural and low-income communities, the pharmacists provide the best access to these vital services. It is time New York joins the rest of the country, so that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to protect themselves and their families from these preventable diseases.”

Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman: “Access to healthcare should be a basic human right and this pandemic has brought to light the inequities in our healthcare system. In many of our Black and brown communities, local pharmacists are the forefront of the immediate route to care. This legislation is a step in the right direction towards addressing this social justice issue and creating equity for all.”

You can find more information about this bill here.