A Southampton pharmacy has joined a program looking to close the healthcare gap in Ontario.
Kristen's Pharmacy is now part of Access to Care, partnering pharmacies with nurse practitioners to provide treatment for non-urgent issues.
"The goal is to identify the needs of the patients in our community and have them access the care at their local community pharmacy," said Kristen Watt, pharmacist and owner of Kristen's Pharmacy. "We know that there are millions of Ontarians who don't have access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner and we're hoping to bridge that gap."
As of right now, Ontario pharmacists are only able to prescribe for 19 minor conditions. In other provinces, it's over 30 conditions that pharmacists can treat.
"The reality in Ontario is that pharmacists are not working to the top level of their education," said Watt. "We are wasting the talents of so many practitioners out there. Grey Bruce has 68 pharmacies and pharmacists in each one."
She added that most Canadians live within five kilometres of a pharmacy, making it even more accessible.
"I can spot shingles from a mile away and I have," she said. "I have had patients in our pharmacy lift their shirts and I said that's shingles. Unfortunately, there's nothing legally I can do. I know exactly therapeutically, but legally, I can't."
Watt said it adds an extra layer of frustration for both the patient and the pharmacist, knowing there's a solution, but they have to go elsewhere to get the problem treated.
Contraception and birth control are other things pharmacists can't legally prescribe, but often patients are sent to for advice on the correct method.
Most of Canada's pharmacists can prescribe birth control and emergency contraception, excluding Ontario, Manitoba, and the three territories.
The program is underway at Kristen's Pharmacy for anyone without a doctor or nurse practitioner to help.
"Pharmacists know what they know and they know what they don't know," said Watt. "If we aren't comfortable providing the care, we know we have the emergency department to rely on."
But, she notes how beneficial it will be to relieve emergency department employees of minor issues that a pharmacist is educated to diagnose and treat.
More information on the program can be found here.