Tech Refresher: A prescription for helping with minor ailments

With pharmacists in all jurisdictions, except the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, now authorized to assess and prescribe for a growing list of publicly funded minor ailments, pharmacy technicians have also taken on an increasingly significant role in support of the pharmacists. Pharmacists in Ontario received prescribing authority for minor ailments as of January 1, 2023. At Kristen’s Pharmacy in Southampton, Ont., pharmacist and owner Kristen Watt says the biggest role her technicians play in this regard is intercepting patients as they call or come in with questions. When patients ask to see the pharmacist, technicians will ask what it’s regarding and will then text them an intake link to complete a minor ailments assessment and book a time for a consultation, says Watt. “The techs are great at knowing which [patient responses] to divert in this way. We can get many calls and drop-ins daily, and how we’ve structured things here is that most pharmacist consults outside of Rx counselling need an appointment, but I count on my techs to know which type of appointment and to set them up properly.” One of those techs is Sheena Deane, who is also vice-president of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians. “Any time someone asks about any of the minor ailments, or if they request a product for treatment of one of the minor ailments, such as an allergy tablet, or something for bug bites or rashes, a link to the appointment booking system is sent,” she says. “Often, people will try to book children or males for UTI assessment, so those patients are referred to their family practitioner.” For patients who can’t navigate the online system, an assistant will book the appointments on their behalf. Deane says that since pharmacists have been authorized to prescribe for minor ailments, “we have been seeing a lot of UTI, muscle strains, atopic dermatitis and allergies.” She acknowledges that “this could be in part because of the season and the fact that we are a compounding pharmacy.” The only two conditions yet to be seen, she says, are impetigo and dysmenorrhea. Snapshot of pharmacist prescribing authority* Alberta: The first jurisdiction to offer pharmacist prescribing in 2007, pharmacists in Alberta continue to have the widest latitude in the country when it comes to prescribing authority. Pharmacists are authorized to prescribe for 49 of 50 conditions listed by the Canadian Pharmacists Association’s “Common Ailment Prescribing in Canada.” British Columbia: Starting June 1, pharmacists could assess and prescribe for contraception needs and 21 minor ailments, free of charge to patients. Manitoba: Prescribing authority for 13 conditions. New Brunswick: Authority to assess and treat 34 minor ailments since 2014, but patients had to pay a fee. N.B. Medicare now pays for 11 ailments, but there are still 23 for which pharmacists can prescribe that aren’t currently covered. Newfoundland & Labrador: Four ailments were recently added, bringing the total to 33, covered through the NL Prescription Drug Plan. Nova Scotia: Funding for 35 minor ailments with valid N.S. health card. Ontario: Funding for assessment and prescribing of 13 minor ailments; six more expected to be added in fall 2023. P.E.I.: Through the Pharmacy Plus PEI program, pharmacists can assess and prescribe for 35 common ailments, all covered. Saskatchewan: In February 2012, Saskatchewan became the first government in Canada to pay for minor-ailment prescribing. Pharmacists can assess and prescribe for 27 conditions. *As of press time.

Tech Refresher: A prescription for helping with minor ailments

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