Saskatchewan pharmacists will soon have expanded authority to substitute prescription medications under certain conditions, part of new training being rolled out by the province.
The government says the change will allow patients to access alternative prescription drugs when their original medication is unavailable due to supply disruptions, shortages or other circumstances approved by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP).
For example, if a prescribed heartburn medication is out of stock, pharmacists could provide an equivalent alternative without requiring the patient to wait for a new prescription.
"Pharmacists are trusted, highly skilled health professionals, who, in many communities, are the primary access point for health-care services," Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in a news release. "Giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe alternative medications means Saskatchewan patients can benefit from more timely and accessible health care."
The province says pharmacists will need to complete training and meet competency requirements set by the SCPP, and must follow mandatory prescribing guidelines.
"Therapeutic substitution under Advanced Prescribing A enables pharmacists to respond more effectively to medication availability and patient needs," said SCPP president Scott Livingstone. "By supporting access to equivalent therapies when a prescribed product is unavailable, this change helps minimize treatment delays and disruptions in care."
Pharmacists will be able to prescribe alternatives in cases such as when a drug is withdrawn from the market, if a patient cannot tolerate the original drug, or when the prescriber cannot be reached in a reasonable time and the patient’s safety is at risk.
The Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan says the change is particularly important for rural and small-town communities.
"We want to thank the Government of Saskatchewan for their ongoing commitment to enhancing health services including those in rural and small-town Saskatchewan, and for their leadership in health care," said association CEO Michael Fougere. "Pharmacists are the health system's medication experts. By expanding pharmacists' scope and enabling them to replace a patient's prescribed medication, the government is increasing health system capacity for Saskatchewan residents."
The province says nine other provinces and territories have already adopted similar therapeutic substitution policies.
The measure is part of Saskatchewan’s Health Human Resources Action Plan, which is aimed at recruiting, training and retaining health-care workers.
Pharmacists in Saskatchewan were first given prescribing authority for minor ailments in 2012. That list now covers more than 30 conditions, ranging from cold sores to urinary tract infections.
According to the province, nearly 1,300 pharmacists are practising in more than 430 community pharmacies across Saskatchewan.