Rhode Islanders may soon get routine health screenings such as blood sugar and cholesterol tests at their local pharmacy without a separate lab visit, though rollout will vary by pharmacy and insurance coverage remains unclear.
A law that took effect July 1 authorizes Rhode Island pharmacists to perform simple medical tests and to enter into formal treatment arrangements with a wider range of health providers, dismantling an approval system the profession’s own trade group calls the most cumbersome in the country.
Governor Daniel McKee signed S2866, sponsored by Senator Bridget Valverde, a Democrat representing North Kingstown, East Greenwich, and South Kingstown, on June 22, 2026. The measure moved through the General Assembly without a single recorded no vote — the Senate passed it 38-0 on June 10, and the House concurred 63-0, with 12 members not voting, on June 11…