Ontario Government to expand pharmacists prescribing power this fall
The Ontario Government made the announcement on Thursday as part of its 2023 budget, saying the original push allowing pharmacists to prescribe some medications for specific ailments has been “hugely popular.”
Starting in the fall, the expanded prescribing power will include medications that treat moderate acne, canker sores, diaper dermatitis, yeast infections, pinworms and threadworms along with nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
First, in Ontario pharmacists were allowed to prescribe Paxlovid, an oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19, in December 2022. The rate of dispensing Paxlovid had increased by more than 130 per cent since pharmacists were permitted to prescribe the medication, government officials said.
Prior to that date December, Ontarians needed a prescription from a doctor, nurse practitioner or clinical assessment centre in order to access the Paxlovid treatment.
Pharmacists were given expanded responsibilities in January 2023 after the current Progressive Conservatives gave them the ability to fill prescriptions for 13 of ‘the most common ailments.’
This included hay fever, oral thrush, dermatitis, pink eye, menstrual cramps, acid reflux, hemorrhoids, cold sores, impetigo, insect bites and hives, tick bites, sprains and strains and UTIs.
At the time, Atef Lotfy, a Sudbury-area pharmacist, told CTV News the changes from the province, which allowed him to treat some minor ailments meant new convenience for his customers.
“The patient is so excited because they know in the community pharmacy, the patient is very close to the pharmacist so its like one of the family so I would go to one of my family better then I spend the time over there,” said Lofty
Lotfy said those changes would also go along way to help a very congested health system.
With files from CTV Sudbury video journalist Ashley Bacon
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.