ONTARIO PHARMACISTS COULD SOON PRESCRIBE DRUGS

News from Canadian press:

Ontario patients could soon get drug prescriptions from their local pharmacists as the governing Liberals look to join other provinces and expand the prescribing powers of pharmacist, nurses and other non-physicians.

The Ministry of Health is commissioning a study which would examine whether those who have prescription authority now, like midwives, optometrists and nurse practitioners- should be able to prescribe more classes of drugs.

The study would also look at the role of pharmacists and whether they could ease pressure on the health-care system by writing prescriptions.

Ontario’s interest comes after Alberta expanded the role of its pharmacists last year, allowing them to prescribe some drugs, give drug refills and inject vaccinations.

New Brunswick is moving forward with legislation that allows pharmacists to refill prescriptions without a doctor’s consent, alter the prescription if necessary and write prescriptions for minor conditions.

Manitoba is also moving toward a system which would give pharmacists to not only the authority to prescribe drugs but also order and interpret tests.

While doctors argue patients could be pit at risk because pharmacists are not trained to diagnose and prescribe medication, Health Minister Mr. Smitherman said Ontario’s pharmacists are well-qualified. He also said that, “Pharmacists go to school for just about as long as doctor does so if we can deploy them more effectively as a front-line health-care provider, that could be advantageous to patients”.

Executive Director Jeff Poston said pharmacists could help patients manage chronic illnesses which, in turn, would save those trips to the hospital. With increasing scarcity of doctors, Mr. Poston said that people in remote, rural areas also have more access to pharmacists than a doctor’s office.

On the other hand, Brian day, head of the Canadian Medical Association, said today’s pharmacy training doesn’t prepare graduates for the responsibility of patient examination and diagnosis.