New Brunswick pharmacists are now able to diagnose and treat seven additional minor ailments in a bid to keep more patients out of crowded emergency rooms or off lengthy physician wait lists.
They can now treat five dermatological conditions including mild acne and dermatitis, as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and tick bites.
“My understanding is there are probably 80,000 visits to physicians for these types of ailments,” Health Minister Bruce Fitch said at a press conference on Monday.
“So we’re freeing up 80,000 appointments for another, more complicated ailment that the doctor would be available for.”
New Brunswick Pharmacists Association president Andrew Drover said these changes have been a long time coming.
“New Brunswick pharmacists have given well over 500,000 COVID vaccinations in the last few years, so we’re used to hard work and we’re used to contributing to the health-care system,” Drover said.
He said pharmacists have been able to consult patients on the newl- added minor ailments since 2014, but until Monday, they weren’t paid to do so by the province.
This meant the cost was sometimes passed down to the patient.
New Brunswick pharmacists can assess and prescribe for 34 minor ailments, but Medicare only pays the pharmacists for consultation for 11 of those ailments, including the seven announced on Monday.
Drover wants pharmacists to be paid for consultation for more minor ailments, mentioning Prince Edward Island pharmacists as an example.
“Last fall (the PEI government) announced that pharmacists would be paid for consultation for all of these minor ailments,” Drover said.
“That actually doubled the anticipated number of visits with pharmacists which means those people are not going to emergency rooms.”
He also pointed to Nova Scotia pharmacists’ ability to treat and assess chronic ailments and strep throat as practices he would like to see adopted in New Brunswick.
He said the additional responsibilities may change how work is carried out in New Brunswick pharmacies, with pharmacists assuming the primary care duties and pharmacy technicians dispensing drugs.
New Brunswick Medical Society President Dr. Michèle Michaud applauds the move.
“Health care requires a multidisciplinary approach, and the NBMS supports a pharmacist’s ability to assess and prescribe for minor illnesses and conditions within their scope of practice,” she said in an emailed statement.
“Hopefully, this will allow patients to access treatment for these ailments more quickly and closer to home, without needing to visit emergency departments or clinics.”
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