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Authorization rules released in Iowa over the summer now provide for an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists in the state, allowing them to diagnose low-risk health conditions, order labs, and prescribe medication. As a result, the Wells Hometown Drug retail pharmacy in Bloomfield, Iowa, recently opened its new walk-in clinic, led by a pharmacist who is able to see patients 6 years and older without physician oversight. The pharmacist-led model was enabled by Iowa’s shift to a “standard of care” regulatory framework. The transformation began with a House bill signed April 2024, which legally redefined pharmacists as practitioners, followed by new administrative rules from the pharmacy board in August 2025, which authorized statewide protocols for pharmacists to diagnose, treat, and prescribe. Pharmacists can now run “test-to-treat” services for strep, influenza, COVID-19, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections, for example. Experts characterize the Wells Hometown in-store clinic as a “mini urgent care” providing services to the local rural county.
Patient experience: The cash pay cost at Wells Hometown Clinic is $50, and the clinic also accepts Medicaid. It’s open 9 AM to 5 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday only.
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