Pharmacists in Quebec want the government to follow suit with the initiative, which allows their counterparts in Ontario to write prescriptions for more than a dozen common diseases.
• Also read: Ontario: Consult pharmacist for specific health concerns
“I hope that will change in the future. […] I think if we could definitely add some basic first-line treatments, it would be an advantage to be able to do that in Quebec,” commented Mina Hazemi, pharmacist at Jean Coutu on Christophe Colomb Street in Montreal.
Starting Sunday, Ontarians who come to their pharmacy lab with a health card can get a prescription for 13 conditions for free.
A variety of resources are available in Quebec, from renewing medications to immunizations to prescribing certain medications, particularly for allergies, digestive disorders, or contraception.
Avoid the emergency
However, legislation like Ontario’s is desired so that healthcare professionals can better support their patients and avoid having to go to the emergency room.
“I would say that of all diseases, it would be really ideal if you could diagnose UTIs because the symptoms are usually obvious and patients are in pain and then need to go to the emergency room or hospital,” commented Dr Hazemi.
However, this common health problem, like cold sores or atopic eruptions like eczema, cannot currently be treated by Quebec pharmacists unless you have a prescription that is less than five years old.
“We’ve advanced, but I think Ontario has overtaken us since Sunday,” commented Mohamed Sabra, Proxim pharmacist, in Rosemont-Petite-Patrie. I have many orphan patients and am open to any initiative that could help my clients [sans médecin de famille] “.
Additionally, a visit to a hospital or clinic can take up to several hours for a large portion of Quebec’s population.
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