B.C. ponders eight new minor ailments—but Neighbourhood Pharmacy wants to move from ‘list-based’ expansion model altogether

What fresh changes to pharmacists’ jobs is the B.C. government considering as it moves to expand their scope of practice?On March 31, the province closed a public consultation on a set of proposed changes to the newly in force Health Professions and Occupations Act, which would significantly expand what pharmacists are allowed to treat. In British Columbia, pharmacists can already assess and prescribe for 21 minor conditions, but the government is now considering adding at least eight more—such as migraines, sinus infections, erectile dysfunction and recurrent genital herpes—while also giving pharmacists clearer authority to order and interpret lab tests as part of routine care.The B.C. Pharmacy Association had said it would submit feedback but has not yet published it online.The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, meanwhile, has released its submission, saying it supports the direction of the changes but is pushing for a more ambitious approach to the government’s suggestions—particularly in how they are implemented.The group argued the province should move away from “list-based” models, abandoning the piecemeal approach of expanding pharmacists’ scope one condition at a time.“Pharmacists are the health systems’ medication experts,” the association wrote, urging regulators to allow pharmacists to rely more on their own professional judgment. The group pointed to strong early uptake of expanded services as evidence the system is ready for more. According to the provincial Ministry of Health, pharmacists in B.C. have carried out just shy of a million minor ailments assessments in the first two years since the province launched its Minor Ailments and Contraception Service—the program that allows pharmacists to assess and prescribe for common conditions without a doctor’s visit.The association also called for pharmacists to take on a larger role in managing public health priorities, including sexually transmitted infections and respiratory illnesses. “Many infectious conditions are time-sensitive and protocol-driven, making them well suited to pharmacist-led care,” wrote the association in its submission. “Enabling pharmacists to manage these conditions can reduce delays, improve outcomes and allow physicians and nurse practitioners to focus on more complex needs, particularly in rural and underserved communities where pharmacists are often the most accessible providers.” The group is also pushing to expand testing within pharmacies. While pharmacists in B.C. can already order and interpret some lab tests, it says those powers aren’t fully built into day-to-day care. “Pharmacist-supported assessment . . . and incorporating testing would allow pharmacists to more confidently identify patients who may benefit from treatment while reinforcing appropriate prescribing practices.”British Columbia also remains one of the only provinces where pharmacy technicians are not routinely authorized to administer vaccines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technicians in B.C. were temporarily permitted to give injections under emergency orders, but that authority was never made permanent. Beyond scope changes, much of the submission focused on what it calls “operational enablers”—the behind-the-scenes conditions needed to make expansion work in practice like sustainable funding and better integration with lab and reporting systems. Without those supports, the group warned, expanded authority may not translate into meaningful access gains. Neighbourhood's full submission can be read here.

B.C. ponders eight new minor ailments—but Neighbourhood Pharmacy wants to move from ‘list-based’ expansion model altogether

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