Pharmacist and Prescriptive authority in Alberta

[pharmy123456]

Alberta pharmacists to write prescriptions

CanWest News Service; Edmonton Journal

Thursday, March 15, 2007

EDMONTON -- Starting April 1, some people heading into pharmacies in Alberta will be able to get their prescriptions refilled for birth control pills, asthma inhalers or high blood pressure pills without heading to their doctor first.

It's all because of changes to the Alberta Pharmacists Act that will give pharmacists in that province more power.

And starting in the fall, pharmacists can write new prescriptions, significantly adjust doses or change drug therapies.

The new Pharmacists Act allows pharmacists to prescribe drugs - excluding narcotics and barbiturates, such as morphine, codeine and anabolic steroids - when "it is not reasonably possible for the patient to see a health professional to obtain a prescription" or if "there is an immediate need for drug therapy," the act reads.

But Greg Eberhart, registrar for the Alberta College of Pharmacists, said that will only happen in extraordinary circumstances

"This is an exception to the rule," Eberhart said, adding that pharmacists would only step in if the care was within their range of competencies. The patient would also need to seek follow-up help from a physician.

"It's clearly not about anybody walking into a pharmacy at any time and a pharmacist having the prerogative to prescribe them medication if they want it."

Three-hour orientation sessions are starting later in March to inform pharmacists about their new roles. They will also need to apply to the College of Pharmacists in order to write new prescriptions.

Edmonton Journal

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[CanPharm]

Hey, that news is kinda old. This article is a bit more up to date.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=6575629c-15d5-45a2-9afe-ab1add007671

Prescribing powers gained by 15 pharmacists
Jodie Sinnema, Edmonton Journal
Published: Friday, March 07, 2008
A group of 15 pharmacists in Alberta has become the first in Canada given powers to prescribe new medications to patients without needing final authorization from a doctor.
They were part of a pilot project to ensure all future pharmacists wanting additional prescribing powers under Alberta's Pharmacists Act are rigorously evaluated before taking on the new responsibility.
"Pharmacists are quite highly educated, and to just be stuck doing dispensing-type things, it's not really a good use of our training and expertise," said Christine Hughes, a pharmacist since 1994.
The move to give pharmacists prescribing powers was initially met with resistance from doctors. The Alberta Medical Association questioned whether pharmacists had the training and education to handle the extra responsibility.
Hughes has now received approval to prescribe new drugs -- other than narcotics, anabolic steroids and barbiturates, such as morphine and codeine -- to patients. Her powers go beyond giving prescription refills to people who have run out of birth control pills or asthma inhalers before scheduling a doctor's appointment. More than 90 per cent of Alberta pharmacists can adapt prescriptions or prescribe in an emergency after going through an orientation course.
But Hughes can write brand new prescriptions, change drug therapies and significantly adjust dosages. For 10 years, she has worked with HIV/AIDS patients out of an infectious disease clinic at the University of Alberta Hospital and has a detailed understanding of how anti-retroviral drugs affect patients.
Hughes said patients probably won't even notice the new powers pharmacists have.
"It just legalizes and improves some of the efficiencies of the system," she said. "I think it is important, that sharing of responsibility. And I think . . . it will improve care and efficiency and off-load some very routine things that might get hung up on a physician's desk and they can focus in on more complex patients."

Just today I saw a couple of scripts written by a pharmacist that's part of the special "15 pharmacists." I thought it was kinda cool.

 

[Farmercyst]

Would you like this merged with the thread we had on it a few months ago?