Do pharmacists have the authority to perform laboratory tests?

Pharmacists have the authority to perform certain laboratory tests, but this is governed by specific regulations such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). Among the various categories of laboratory tests, CLIA designates "waived tests" as those that are simple and pose minimal risk of an incorrect result. These tests are accessible for health care providers, including pharmacists, allowing them to offer immediate results for certain conditions, such as blood glucose or cholesterol levels.

By performing these waived tests, pharmacists can contribute to patient care by facilitating faster decision-making regarding treatment or the need for further clinical evaluation. Thus, option C correctly captures the extent of pharmacists' authority concerning laboratory testing, emphasizing that their role is limited to those tests categorized as waived under CLIA regulation. This ensures that pharmacists operate within a framework designed to ensure the safety and accuracy of laboratory testing in a clinical setting.

In contrast, the other options either overstated or misrepresented the current regulatory framework governing pharmacists' roles in laboratory testing, failing to align with the legal and professional guidelines established for pharmacy practice.