Pharmacists get power to prescribe

This article is from a week or so ago and doesn't exactly cover any new ground, but I thought it is a decent summary of the Alberta pharmacist prescribing situation.

From the (University of Alberta) Gateway:
As of 1 April, 2007, pharmacists in Edmonton will be able to prescribe drugs and administer injections, under the recently sanctioned Health Professions Act (HPA) and the Pharmacy and Drug Act (PDA), approved by the provincial Cabinet on 8 November 2006.

While some believe this will make pharmacists more effective, some members of Alberta’s medical profession are skeptical—with one concern stemming from the conflict of interest inherent in the possibility of pharmacists prescribing drugs for financial gain. ...more