Radical!
This after ontario liberals are debating whether or not to augment the prescribing powers of nurse practiitioners, pharmacists, and ‘other non-physicians’. The Ministry of Health will be undertaking a study (stealthily, and quietly) to see whether nurses, midwives, and other non-docs who now have *some* prescription authority should be able to write the golden tickets for even a wider variety of drugs.
Ontario would be following in the footsteps of Alberta, who instituted a similar program last year; and Manitoba and New Brunswick, who are expanding the roles of pharmacists in their regions.
There are going to be arguments against this. The floodgates will open, the picketing will occur. ‘THEY R NOT TRAINED. THEY WILL SCREW UP’. Perhaps. And, it’s very true. No doctor in the history of EVER, has made a mistake, so we best keep all power of prescription in their hands.
Eyeroll.
The fact is: Ontario physicians need some relief. And pharmacists seem more than qualified to provide it. If we can't remedy our doctor shortage the easy way, (with...more doctors), then other healthcare professionals seem the obvious choice to delegate responsibility to. Some extra training, revolving around the diagnosing of medical problems would be necessary and beneficial…but doctors are not born with this knowledge themselves. It is the training that makes THEM qualified to prescribe drugs in the first place. Pharmacists demonstrate a level of intelligence and ambition similar, if not equal to, those who attend medical school. I say they can easily learn the ins and outs of the business, alleviating the pressures and constraints currently placed on our doctors, while being extremely convenient for patients.
Less lines in emergency rooms and clinics? Sold.
The diagnosing potential in pharmacists is definitely already seen, as well. Minor ailments are diagnosed in a snap; so chronic illnesses too could be well managed with the help of a pharmacist. This, too, would leave doctor’s offices and emergency rooms less crowded. The health care system might be able to catch a deep breath and de-stress for a moment. We all need that.
The benefit to those living in rural areas, with much easier access to pharmacies than to large clinics or hospitals would also be invaluable. It is absolutely not ridiculous to extend powers of, at the least, renewal to pharmacists. They *know* pills, symptoms, and side effects. I would have very little issue putting my illness in their hands.
Adding some diagnostic training to the course of pharmacy school should hardly cause an uproar, neither within the school, nor withouts.
Especially considering the pay raise pharmacists would likely see accompany this additional training.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080601/national/ont_prescribing_pharmacists_1
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