Pharmacists in British Columbia are welcoming an expansion of their powers to prescribe drugs and give vaccines, but they also say that how the changes are implemented will matter.
Cathy Wang, pharmacist and owner of 360Care Denman Pharmacy in Vancouver, described the shift as “very positive.”Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the expansion last week as part of a plan to address human resource challenges that are contributing to an ongoing health-care crisis.
The changes bring British Columbia in line with guidance from Health Canada and other provinces. Alberta gives pharmacists more leeway, including allowing them to administer things like cosmetic injections and order lab work, while Ontario was the last province before B.C. to empower pharmacists to issue prescriptions for minor ailments.
A survey of 1,399 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians early this year commissioned by the Canadian Pharmacists Association found almost all pharmacy professionals — 92 per cent — reported being at risk of burnout. Nearly half report abuse or harassment from patients on a weekly basis. At the same time, she said expanding the scope of pharmacists may actually help with retention. It’s been discouraging for some pharmacists not to use their skills and training to their full potential, she said.
Wang also said she’ll be keeping an eye on the reimbursement model. Currently, when doctors give an injection, they receive a fee for service, she said. Unless the government supports the same for pharmacists, the costs may be passed on to patients, she said. “The COVID shots and this year’s flu shots, they changed the whole system. That is definitely a little bit more pressure to us,” he said.
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