With Bill 31, regulations came into force to expand the range of professional activities of pharmacists. Thus, certain services will now be offered by pharmacists.
For Jean-Christophe Raymond, pharmacist and co-owner of the Proxim Pharmacy in Saint-Jérôme, this is excellent news. “We could already prescribe certain drugs. Law 31 was passed two years ago, but there have been adjustments with the government so that certain activities are free for patients and paid for by health insurance. We are very happy to be able to do more especially with the pandemic. We are reorganizing ourselves in order to be able to offer the new services to patients ”, he told us in an interview.
He cites as an example seasonal vaccination (Influenza). “It’s great, we had 1,500 vaccines. We have hired additional nurses to expand these services. And when it is time to vaccinate the population against COVID-19, in order of priority, we can also do it. “
New acts
One of the things pharmacists can now do is treat shingles. If a patient shows signs of shingles, they can consult the pharmacist who can prescribe treatment while waiting for the doctor’s consultation. The treatment of influenza influenza may also be taken care of by the pharmacist to start treatment or by the vaccine for prevention.
“We’re going to double down on our actions and that’s great news. With Bill 31 we are going to be able to do more, which will be beneficial for patients and also it will help to relieve the congestion in the health system. Patients can go to their pharmacist. Depending on the situation, they may avoid a visit to the emergency room or to the doctor “, he adds.
“Currently, pharmacists can already prescribe drugs to treat certain minor health problems or as a preventive measure. Today, certain conditions are added and the number of eligible years between the doctor’s prescription and that of the pharmacist is increased in some cases. For example, the pharmacist can now prescribe treatment for urinary tract infection up to five years after the prescription from the doctor or specialist nurse practitioner, compared to one year in the past ”, can we read on the website of the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec.
In addition, there are all the laboratory tests that pharmacists can order in order to assess the impact of drug treatments on their patients and adjust them as needed.
Abolition of the deductible and coinsurance
The government announced that professional activities such as extending prescriptions, assessing the need for a prescription for a minor condition or replacing a drug, in particular, are no longer subject to a contribution from patients as of January 25. .
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