B.C. pharmacists call on province to allow them to prescribe medications amid doctor shortage
Pharmacists are calling for the B.C. government to allow them to prescribe medication for minor ailments, especially as the province's doctor shortage continues to impact nearly a million residents.
In Alberta, pharmacists are already allowed to prescribe certain medications, such as drugs for cold sores or urinary tract infections. A similar system is also coming to Ontario.
Yoshi Ito, a pharmacist at the People's Pharmacy in Colwood, B.C., says it makes sense for pharmacists to be able to do the same here.
The solution would cut down on some of the long wait times the province is seeing for doctors, he says.
"The B.C. pharmacy association has been advocating, for years, for its members to be able to prescribe for minor conditions," said Ito.
"It's also been pushing for them to renew many more medications than they're currently allowed," he said.
Currently, pharmacists in B.C. are not allowed to prescribe medicine. However, they can renew certain prescriptions before they expire as long as that prescription has remained stable for approximately six months.
Most prescriptions generally expire after one year. Following that, a doctor needs to renew the prescription, though in emergencies pharmacists can step in and offer limited amounts of prescribed drugs.
CTV News reached out to the Ministry of Health asking if the ministry was thinking about following the lead of other provinces.
In a statement, the ministry said it would be focusing on optimizing what pharmacists can currently do, rather than expanding their responsibilities – meaning pharmacists won't be able to prescribe new meds in B.C. anytime soon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.