Abstract
The New Brunswick government has announced plans to allow pharmacists to prescribe medications, stating the change will give the province's residents improved access to health care.
The government will soon introduce amendments to the Pharmacy Act to enable New Brunswick pharmacists to prescribe certain drugs. The announcement was made in the Speech from the Throne presented to the legislature November 27, 2007.
“We feel there are certain medications today that pharmacists can prescribe. (This) will free up the bottlenecks within the system and allow better access for patients,” Premier Shawn Graham said in a news conference the same day.
“This statement reflects that this government truly sees that pharmacists are an important member of the health care team, and that they are underutilized in today's environment,” said Ron Jackson, president of the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association (NBPA), in a news release. “This announcement is an important first step in enabling pharmacists to practise at their full scope of practice.”
— Ron Jackson
Physician shortages and long wait times are increasingly driving patients to hospital emergency rooms and after-hour clinics for medication, added Mr. Jackson in an interview with the CPJ. “Access is a problem in both urban and rural areas. We believe we can play a role in alleviating some of those pressures, and perhaps eliminating some unnecessary visits to emergency rooms and clinics.”
Details of prescribing model to be developed
The scope of the prescribing authority will be determined using a similar process to the one used in both Alberta and Manitoba; when enabling legislation is in place, the regulatory body (New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society) will develop draft regulations in consultation with pharmacists and other stakeholders.
“Our vision for the scope of practice is both the collaborative approach — working with physicians and other health care team members — and some independent prescribing,” says Mr. Jackson.
Pharmacists have been discussing the collaborative model and the potential scope of practice for prescribing with the New Brunswick Medical Society. Physicians in the province see the initiative as a positive step, according to Society president Dr. David Flower. “I think we will be able to work well collaboratively, in the interest of the patient,” he said (quoted in the Moncton Times & Transcript, November 28, 2007).
“We have been proactive in discussing this with the medical community,” Mr. Jackson says. “Both physicians and pharmacists recognize that this is a patient-centred announcement, and that patients are going to be better served.”