Abstract
Noting that pharmacist prescribing is emerging in various forms internationally and is taking hold in other Canadian provinces, the British Columbia Pharmacy Association (BCPhA) has adopted a position statement in support of the principle of prescribing for BC pharmacists.
The BCPhA supports the principle of pharmacist prescribing “contingent on the development of standards, limits, and conditions in collaboration with the College of Pharmacists of BC and other health care professionals,” according to the position statement adopted by the Board of Directors on January 5, 2007.
— Marnie Mitchell, BCPhA CEO
In the background to the statement, the BCPhA points to an “international movement towards maximizing the pharmacist as a primary health care resource.” With health care systems around the globe experiencing a scarcity of resources, the statement says, making full use of existing resources is a significant requirement and “pharmacist prescribing, under an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists, is one way health care systems can address these needs.”
“It is a fairly simple and general statement,” says Marnie Mitchell, CEO of the Association. “We are beginning the process of exploring a feasible option for pharmacist prescribing in British Columbia. The fascinating aspect will be in the details — how far do we want to go in expanding the scope of practice and creating prescribing authority in the province?”
The BCPhA surveyed its members in 2006 and found that many BC pharmacists support moving in the direction of prescribing, says Ms. Mitchell. “The issue has received a reasonable amount of attention here because we are neighbours of Alberta. Clearly, all of us will be paying attention to how pharmacist prescribing will unfold in Alberta.”
The Association will begin by holding discussions with the College on potential standards and conditions and will develop a plan for engagement with the provincial government and other BC health care professionals. The timing is right, according to Ms. Mitchell.
“In BC we are on the verge of getting into what the government is calling a ‘conversation on health,’ a broad discussion on how to improve the health care system,” she says. Pharmacist prescribing will be part of the discussion on how to better use pharmacists in the delivery of health care.