B.C. pharmacists welcome expanded prescription powers
Posted October 7, 2022 11:20 am.
Pharmacists in British Columbia say they welcome an expansion of their powers to prescribe some drugs and give vaccines, but how the changes are introduced will matter.
Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the change last week as part of an action plan to address human resources challenges in the struggling healthcare sector.
They include allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control and drugs for minor ailments and renew prescriptions for people who’ve lost their family doctors.
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Parm Johal of Wilson Pharmacy in Port Coquitlam says he’s among pharmacists who’ve advocated to do more for years and the change is a long time coming.
Johal says pharmacists’ training has always included the scope to prescribe.
“We’re very pleased that it’s been recognized that we are able to step up and play a more active role in the health care system, and providing health care to the British Columbians, and also thereby reducing the burden of the health care system,” he said.
Vancouver pharmacist Cathy Wang of 360Care Denman says she hopes the change will keep people in the profession for longer.
“I think short-term, there might be a little bit more workload, but it will probably increase the morale of the pharmacy profession overall, and hopefully have better retention.
She says some young pharmacists have left the profession after realizing they are trained to do more than the province previously allowed.
“I think this new, expanded scope [will] actually give hope to young practitioners, that they can actually use their full scope, what they learn in school in their real practice,” she said.
She says she’s also curious to see if pharmacists are paid a fee for the new responsibilities, similar to the way doctors are, or if those costs will have to be passed on to patients.
