QUEBEC CITY – Quebec City resident Marie Lepage is finding it more difficult these days to see a doctor. That’s why she has started relying on her pharmacist.
“Pharmacists sometimes know more about medication than doctors!” she said. “Sometimes the doctors – you ask them questions about medications and they’re not sure.”
Her message to the Health Minister: give front-line workers such as pharmacists more powers, and fast.
“C’mon, get going! It’s about time,” the fiery sixty-something told Global News.
Technically, pharmacists should have been able to renew prescriptions, analyze lab tests and treat minor conditions by now. The law granting them new powers was adopted two years ago and was supposed to come into effect last September. But a tug-of-war between the pharmacists’ association, the Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires, and Health Minister Réjean Hébert is bogging down the process.
“We are negotiating with the association in order to give more responsibilities to the pharmacists, but not at any price,” said Hébert. “The capacity to pay of the Quebec citizen is limited and we want to be sure that the investment will be at the level that the government can afford.”
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Association President Normand Cadieux blamed Hébert for the delay. He said Hébert’s decision to postpone the changes is a political one. “He doesn’t want to pay nor does he want pharmacists to start charging customers for the new services,” said Cadieux. “Somebody will have to pay.”
Cadieux insisted the investment is justifiable because it will unclog Quebec’s health-care system and improve patient care.
Meanwhile, the Quebec Order of Pharmacists is urging the two parties to hurry up and come to an agreement.
“After four months of negotiation they have to find a solution to answer patients’ needs,” said Order President Diane Lamarre.
As flu season hits its peak, many like Quebec City resident Michel Beaumont would like better access to a health-care professional.
“To get faster service is very important and customers will be very happy to get better service,” said Michel Beaumont as he clutched his bag of medication.
Better service has a cost, said pharmacist Johanne Martel.
“We’ve been talking about broadening pharmacists’ roles for 30 years,” she said. “Re-defining roles takes time and political will. I expect it will take another decade before everything is up and running smoothly,” she added.
Another decade is not what Marie Lepage had in mind.
“I think all the studies have been done, so why don’t they do something about it?” she asked.
A tenth meeting between the pharmacists’ association and the minister is scheduled at the end of January.
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