The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) congratulates the government on its announcement regarding expanding the role of pharmacists in Ontario. This initiative, which already exists in other provinces, will enable pharmacists to offer a broader range of healthcare services, including the administration of more vaccines, ordering and conducting tests, and treating common ailments. Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer has written to Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health of Ontario as well as other governmental officials to express the same. Read the letter here.
Recently surveyed CARP members indicated their top concern in their life is access to prompt, quality health care.
Pharmacists have a part to play in Canada’s health care system, and increasing the scope of authority for pharmacists across Canada is a key step in improving the health care of Canadians.
- Pharmacists are the most accessible health-care professionals in Canada, dispensing and providing advice on 750 million prescriptions per year.
- Convenient and close to home, pharmacists are taking on expanded roles and deliver an estimated $4.7 billion of value per year by improving access to care and reducing pressure on the health-care system
- Most provincial governments have approved pharmacist prescribing with varying scopes of authority, a service that complements the care provided by a doctor and can result in more convenient refills, less time spent dealing with prescription changes and collaborative medication management.
CARP is eager to participate in the forthcoming consultations on this initiative. By allowing pharmacists to deliver more care options within their local communities, this move will mean those in Ontario can get certain healthcare needs addressed far more quickly, and will help free up family doctors to focus on patients with more complex medical issues.
“Making it easier for highly skilled, regulated healthcare professionals, like pharmacists, to work to the full extent of their training is a significant step forward,” said Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy & Education Officer of CARP. “This will enhance access to medical care for seniors and others who currently have limited access to a family doctor.”
CARP believes that this initiative will not only improve healthcare access but also ensure that more Canadians receive timely and efficient medical care within their communities.
CARP is advocating that all provinces authorise pharmacists to cover the full scope of pharmacist health services. Do you know what your pharmacist has authority to do? Find out below.
Pharmacist prescribing across Canada
Pharmacists in Canada have seen their prescribing powers expand significantly. Currently, all pharmacists across Canada have some level of prescribing authority but this varies by jurisdiction. This chart provides a detailed look at pharmacists’ prescribing authority in each jurisdiction.
Vaccination and injection authority
From flu shots to routine immunizations and travel vaccines, pharmacies offer convenient access to vaccines and injections. This chart provides an overview of pharmacy professionals’ authority to inject drugs and vaccines across Canada.
Controlled drugs and substances
During COVID-19, Health Canada issued temporary exemptions for prescriptions of controlled substances, which permit pharmacists to extend, transfer and accept verbal orders, and permit pharmacy employees to deliver prescriptions. This chart illustrates how these exemptions have been implemented across Canada.
Publicly funded pharmacy services by province
Provincial governments recognize the value of investing in pharmacy services and many provinces now cover these services as part of their provincial drug plans. This chart provides an overview of public payment for pharmacy services in each province.
