The ability for pharmacists to write prescriptions for more than a dozen common ailments starting next week is expected to help ease pressure on the health-care system.
Joseph Kamel, a pharmacist and manager of PureHealth Pharmacy located at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, said this change — which pharmacists have been advocating for for more than five years — will help relieve some of the pressure faced by urgent care clinics and emergency departments as patients will be able to go to their local pharmacy instead of spending hours waiting to see a doctor for a simple ailment.
“It will help patients that need help with some not-too-heavy medical care to get it much quicker and it will be much more accessible than bloating the emergency rooms,” said Kamel.
“It will, in effect, reduce the load on the ER, which will then reduce wait times for everybody that needs the ER. It’s a win-win.”
Beginning Jan. 1, the provincial Ministry of Health will allow pharmacists to write prescriptions for the following 13 common ailments:
- hay fever (allergic rhinitis);
- oral thrush (candidal stomatitis);
- pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic and viral);
- dermatitis (atopic, eczema, allergic and contact);
- menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea);
- acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD]);
- hemorrhoids;
- cold sores (herpes labialis);
- impetigo;
- insect bites and hives;
- tick bites (post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease);
- sprains and strains (musculoskeletal); and
- urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Kamel, who told BarrieToday he sat on several committees that worked toward bringing this change forward, said he’s happy to see it come to fruition.
“Pharmacists do have the clinic knowledge and ability, and being front-line, we are already exposed to a lot of these cases,” he said, adding there’s talk of eventually expanding the list of ailments for which pharmacists can prescribe.
“Other provinces have more than just the 13 that we are starting with (and) I believe that, with the assistance of pharmacists on the front line, they’re able to significantly relieve pressure on the health-care system,” he said.
Kamel anticipates once the program launches next week, it will continue to grow and evolve and make seeking treatment of simple ailments even more convenient.
“I think things will evolve over the next few weeks where we will be able to create tools online. I am working on a tool with the University of Waterloo to make it so patients can self-assess before coming to us,” he explained.
The goal of the initiative, according to a news release from the ministry, is to make it more convenient for Ontarians to receive the care they need, while offering patients more convenient choices for how they access and receive health care. In addition to providing more convenience, pharmacy prescribing will help to expand doctors’ abilities to provide care for more complex needs, helping to reduce wait times for these services.
Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said the move allows patients to have minor ailments treated and assessed closer to home.
“It reduces demand on hospitals, emergency departments, walk-in clinics and family physicians. It also frees up time for our health-care partners, allowing doctors, nurses and other health-care providers to focus on more complex care cases," Bates said.
