Sask. pharmacists get OK to prescribe medication for more illnesses

Pharmacists in Saskatchewan are getting expanded responsibilities.

The provincial government announced Tuesday it was giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe medication to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and recurrent genital herpes for both men and women.

“Pharmacists prescribing in specific circumstances provides patients with improved access to health-care services,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said in a release. “Pharmacists are valuable members of our health-care team and these expansions allow them to maximize the use of their skill set for Saskatchewan patients.”

It’s the second time this year that pharmacists were given an expanded scope of practice. In June, they also were given the ability to do independent prescribing, order lab tests and conduct point of care testing, such as drawing a small blood sample, to give patients advice on medication for things such as diabetes and cholesterol.

That followed an announcement by the government that it was planning to give some health-care workers more responsibilities to provide people with more access to services.

Pharmacists in the province take training and meet competency requirements that were established by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals.

“It’s exciting to see a growing list of minor ailments for which pharmacists can prescribe medications,” Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals registrar Jeana Wendel said in the release. “It’s a big step in keeping the public safe while easing pressures on the health system.”

Saskatchewan pharmacists were given permission to prescribe medication for four minor ailments in 2011. Since then, the list has expanded to 30 conditions.

According to the government, there are around 1,220 practising pharmacists in more than 425 licensed community pharmacies in the province.