Is it time for New Brunswick to cover pharmacists treating minor ailments?

The New Brunswick government should put more money towards covering pharmacists’ providing minor ailment services, Andrew Drover, president of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, said in a letter on the association’s website. “It is irresponsible to insist certain services be performed only at hospitals or in a physician’s or nurse practitioner's office when there are other qualified healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists, standing on the sidelines. A covered health service should be a covered service regardless of provider,” he said. He discussed the coming infusion of money from federal funding and how the premier of New Brunswick has spoken about allowing pharmacists to diagnose and prescribe for more ailments. “This is encouraging, and we hope government continues to expand coverage to pharmacists’ full scope of practice, giving more New Brunswickers immediate access to better primary healthcare,” Drover wrote. Read: New Brunswick throne speech pledges more work to improve healthcare and education He also pointed out that the other Atlantic provinces have recently expanded their healthcare coverage. Under Pharmacy’s new Pharmacy Plus PEI program, the government covers pharmacists assessing and treating people for 32 minor ailments. Nova Scotia is also piloting its Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics program, which also offers coverage for pharmacists to assess and prescribe for minor ailments and some chronic diseases. New Brunswick should follow suit, Drover said. “New Brunswick pharmacists are already qualified to assess and prescribe for all the same ailments…[but] patients have to pay out of pocket for all but four of those services if performed by a pharmacist, even though they’re free when performed by a doctor or nurse practitioner.” Read: PEI pharmacists treat nearly 11,500 in first months of Pharmacy Plus program He said that allowing pharmacists in New Brunswick to address minor ailments would ease pressures on emergency rooms and walk-in clinics. And he addressed the common concern that having pharmacists treat minor ailments would lead to interrupted continuity of care. The College of Pharmacists requires that pharmacists notify patients’ doctors of any changes in treatment, he points out. “For New Brunswickers without a family doctor today, the unfortunate reality is there is often no continuity of care," he said. "People bounce around from emergency rooms to clinics, to 811 and eVisit, and their pharmacist is often the only health-care professional they can actually see on a regular basis.” Read: Some pharmacists in Nova Scotia to prescribe PrEP

Is it time for New Brunswick to cover pharmacists treating minor ailments?

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