Saskatchewan pharmacists have expanded the role they play in the health care system after receiving the green light from Health Minister Don McMorris to begin prescribing medications in specific situations.
"It's going to make things easier for patients, but it is still limited," explains Carlyle pharmacist Jolyn Schultz. "If they've run out of refills, we can okay a month, which gives them a chance then to make an appointment [with a doctor]."
It is often difficult for patients in rural areas where walk-in clinics do no exist to get in to see a doctor immediately; therefore, this change will give them a one-month grace period.
Schultz reaffirms pharmacists can only provide a one-month refill, thus the onus is on the patients to then book an appointment with a physician within the following month.
Amendments to the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists' bylaws culminate a journey that began a few years ago and follows recommendations from various inquiries and reviews of the health care system.
"We are very pleased with the move to enhanced prescribing authority," says Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists President Christine Hrudka. "Over the last three or more years we consulted with our professional colleagues, including physicians and nurses, to develop this collaborative framework. It reflects our belief in collaboration and promoting an optimal role for the pharmacist as a member of the health care team in the public interest."
The amendments authorize pharmacists to provide services such as extending refills on existing prescriptions and providing emergency supplies of prescribed medications.
Schultz explained that emergency supplies pertains to people who may be visiting from out-of-the-area and have forgotten their medication - such as birth control or an inhaler - at home and therefore need an emergency supply of the medication.
"As long as we do our due diligence and check to make sure they've used it before, there are no refills and we can't get a hold of the doctor, then we can go ahead and okay a package of that emergency medication so they have something to get them through until they can see a doctor," says Schultz.
Additional amendments in the future will authorize pharmacists to prescribe specific medication for minor ailments.
"What's coming - and it's probably going to take a good six months to a year to come - is the minor ailments prescribing," says Schultz. "For example, say someone comes in with a cold sore and they're tried the over-the-counter [medication], we'll then be able to prescribe the prescriptions to them. There will be a certain set of criteria to follow in order to do that, and we're going to have to do some extra education. But, we'll be able to do some minor prescribing."
This is great news in an area that has been plagued with doctor shortages that have made it rather difficult to see a doctor at times in recent years.
"This is a great step forward for health care in Saskatchewan," Health Minister McMorris says. "I believe that enhancing pharmacists' prescribing authority puts patients first by giving Saskatchewan residents greater and more timely access to health care services and to their prescription medications.
And this is great news for pharmacists who can now expand their roles in helping their patients.
"It's going to enable us to expand our scope of practice and to be able to help our patients a lot more effectively and lot more time efficiently," says Schultz. "Before we used to have to fax the doctor and wait for them to get back to us with that, and now we can do it right away. Now [the patients] don't have to have the lag time."
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