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
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.