Dear Editor:
RE: Pharmacists can now prescribe for six more minor conditions, Nov. 9, 2023
I fully support the provincial government’s decision to give pharmacists more prescribing power. I think it’s a major step in building an efficient health care system, and I’m sure that it’ll take away a lot of the stress around these minor, but quickly progressing ailments.
From personal experience, most doctor’s appointments that I’ve scheduled were booked for between one and four weeks after the date booked. Waiting more than a couple days to receive care for these easily diagnosed ailments is not optimal, even though optimal health care is what Canada consistently strives for.
Citizens won’t be the only ones benefiting, either. The Ontario Medical Association should recognize that good health care is achieved by teamwork.
Part of their responsibility as physicians is to give minor cases to those who are entirely capable of dealing with them, and to focus their efforts on patients who need more advanced care, especially patients with long-lasting or chronic conditions.
You would think that they’d be more interested in reducing the stress of their weighty career.
Not to mention, most pharmacists go to school for between four and eight years, which isn’t much less than a physician would. If a pharmacist couldn’t handle these minor responsibilities, I think I would be pretty disappointed in Canada’s education system.
I hope to see more prescribing power to our undervalued pharmacists in the future, and more opportunities like this for Canadians to learn how to best care for themselves.
Siera Vanleeuwen,
Mapleton