Pharmacists are valuable members of the healthcare team, drawing on their university-trained expertise to provide essential services. They play a critical role in helping us stay healthy by dispensing medications correctly and offering advice about drug therapies; monitoring our health through reviewing prescriptions for interactions or side effects; and educating patients, families, physicians and other healthcare providers on medication use.
Pharmacists traditionally were unable to write prescrpitions. They had to recommend an over-the-counter remedy to alleviate your minor symptoms until you could see your family doctor. This was a big problem for those who didn't have access to a family health team. Thankfully that has all changed for certain ailments.
News: The Ontario government now allows pharmacists to write prescriptions for 13 common illnesses. This will make it easier for everyone to get the care they need. Pharmacist prescribing, which has a broad reach across the entire province of Ontario, will aid in boosting access to healthcare everywhere. It will give patients more convenient options for accessing and receiving health care.
13 Ailments Pharmacists can now prescribe in Ontario:
- 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)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Search our network for a Regulated Health Professional that can help you
Did you know that based on your injury/condition/treatment seeing another regulated health professional might be a great place to start? Not only will you obtain care sooner, you might also have your condition/injury diagnosed earlier. For example: Seeing a Physiotherapist or Massage Therapist for back or neck pain.