Wednesday, May 21, 2008

New Brunswick pharmacists to prescribe drugs under new legislation

From the Canadian Press:
Pharmacists in New Brunswick will soon be able to prescribe certain drugs as a result of a bill tabled in the legislature Tuesday.

The bill, which was introduced on behalf of the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, was promised earlier this year in the provincial health plan. "This enhanced role for pharmacists is in keeping with our commitment to give patients better access to health care by enhancing the role of health-care providers," said Health Minister Mike Murphy.

Murphy said people who have an established diagnosis from their doctor for conditions such as allergies, asthma, diabetes or high cholesterol can consider seeing their pharmacist for a prescription.

An example could be someone who has been on blood pressure medication for 10 years but has run out of medication and was unable to see their doctor for a couple of weeks. A pharmacist would be able to provide that patient with medication to allow time for a followup with their doctor. ...more

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