B.C. moves closer to allowing pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments

British Columbia has taken the first steps to allow pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments and contraception with two proposed amendments. If moved through, pharmacists in British Columbia would be able to prescribe for minor ailments and contraception starting June 1, 2023. The expansion, announced in September, would bring B.C.’s pharmacists in line with the nine other provinces where pharmacists already prescribe for minor ailments—and the four that already allow pharmacists to prescribe for contraception. The College of Pharmacists of BC and the Ministry of Health have been working together to create the framework. Two proposed amendments offer the following details: Read: ‘Beacon of hope’: B.C. advocates cheer free contraception promise in 2023 budget The first lists the minor ailments pharmacists could treat. They include: Acne Allergic rhinitis Conjunctivitis Dermatitis Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Fungal infections Gastroesophageal reflux disease Headache Hemorrhoids Herpes labialis Impetigo Oral ulcers Oropharyngeal candidiasis Musculoskeletal pain Shingles Nicotine dependence Threadworms or pinworms Uncomplicated urinary tract infection Urticaria, including insect bites And vaginal candidiasis It also covers how pharmacists will be able to prescribe Schedule 1 drugs after making a diagnosis. That diagnosis, it proposes, would include ensuring that the disease is indicated by the patient’s signs and symptoms; that those symptoms aren’t likely to be covering up another underlying disease or condition; that they can be diagnosed without lab or imaging tests; and that they are expected to resolve with short-term or episodic treatment. The college also just finished the feedback portion of another proposed amendment to the Health Professions Act around creating a committee to oversee minor ailments and contraceptive prescribing. The details around those proposed changes are available on the college’s website, and include that the committee will develop, review, and recommend standards, limits and conditions for Pharmacists Prescribing for Minor Ailments and Contraception. That committee is an expansion of the Drug Administration Committee to become the Prescribing and Drug Administration Committee. Read: Is it time for New Brunswick to cover pharmacists treating minor ailments?

B.C. moves closer to allowing pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments

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