Saskatchewan residents in rural communities now have greater access to health care as the provincial government launches a new initiative allowing pharmacists to test for strep throat and ear infections, and prescribe treatment in a single visit.
Souris Family Pharmacy in Estevan is one of 27 pharmacies selected to offer ear infection assessments, while New Hope Pharmacy in Stoughton is among 11 pharmacies chosen to conduct strep throat and ear infection testing.
The province announced an investment of more than $700,000 to help expand pharmacists' roles in patient care. Pharmacists are now trained to assess and test for strep throat and ear infections. With this new training, they can perform rapid strep throat tests where samples are collected and results are available on-site within 10 minutes. Ear infections require only a physical assessment, and pharmacists can prescribe and dispense medication as necessary.
“So the test would first start with a series of screening questions to make sure that the patient was eligible. Based on the questions then, if things looked like it was potentially an ear infection, we would do a physical assessment. So that would be like a look into the ear to see if there was anything that we could find as well as an assessment of lymph nodes. Then if both of those were I guess positive or indicated an ear infection, then we would prescribe an antibiotic to treat such infection,” said Matthew Walliser, manager of Souris Family Pharmacy.
"We are pleased to launch this project, one of the first in Canada, which allows pharmacists the ability to offer patients greater access to health care services by providing testing and treatment in one visit," Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr said. "With this expanded scope of practice, pharmacists can make greater use of their skills and education, directly benefiting Saskatchewan residents."
Currently, there are no walk-in clinics in Estevan, making this new service vital for those who may not be able to see a doctor promptly or who do not need emergency care.
“Having this through a pharmacy is so important to increase access,” said Walliser. “An emergency room isn’t really the right place for an ear infection. Something more like a walk-in clinic or an urgent care center might be more beneficial for your infection but not having access to those in rural communities like in Estevan we need to have another option and pharmacies give us that option.”
More than 140 pharmacists provincewide are participating in the program, having completed training to meet the requirements of the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP) and following mandatory guidelines.
"As the provincial regulator for pharmacy practice, the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals is committed to ensuring pharmacists have the skills and training necessary to provide safe and effective care to the people of Saskatchewan," SCPP President-Elect Scott Livingstone said. "The launch of strep throat testing and assessments for ear infections represents a significant step forward in enhancing timely access to care for patients across Saskatchewan."
The program may expand to more pharmacies in the future, depending on the success of this pilot project.
Nearly 1,300 practicing pharmacists work in more than 430 licensed community pharmacies across Saskatchewan. In many communities, pharmacies are the primary, if not the only, access point for health care services.