Profession : Pharmacist
Pharmacists specialize in medications and the appropriate ways for the general public to use them. Quebec’s pharmacists are recognized as front-line healthcare providers, and their role has changed a lot over the past few years.
Bill 41, which came into force in June 2015, allows a pharmacist to prescribe a drug for conditions whose diagnosis and treatment are known, or when no diagnosis is required. The act also authorizes pharmacists to extend prescriptions written by a physician, adjust the dose of a prescription, prescribe and interpret laboratory tests for monitoring, substitute a drug when a supply is interrupted, and administer medications (like inhaled, subcutaneous or intramuscular medications) to show others how it’s done. The profession is expected to change even more in the coming months and years. New professional acts will make it easier to access certain healthcare services.
A Relationship Based on Trust
Pharmacists are highly trusted, and Canadians see their pharmacists more than any other healthcare professionals. More than half of people with a health problem visit a pharmacist before seeing another healthcare professional. As members of a collaborative healthcare team, pharmacists play a major role in helping to find solutions to some of the problems facing our healthcare system: resolving the opioid crisis, improving mental healthcare, increasing vaccination rates, managing deprescription and polypharmacy, geriatric and dementia care, reducing the burden on primary and emergency care and more.
March is Pharmacist Awareness Month in Canada. Your pharmacist is a front-line healthcare professional, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them! Not only can they help you with your prescription and over-the-counter medications, they can also provide a host of valuable tips and tricks to help you with the little aches and pains of everyday life.