On April 1st, Canadaian Pharmcists will be Allowed to Prescribe

I love and respect pharmacists, but they are not diagnosticians and their desire to be able to “prescribe medications independently” puts the patient at a significant risk. Even more alarming is that the new law will allow pharmacists to fill “emergency supplies” of narcotics which is a disaster waiting to happen when drug-seekers skip the ER and harass pharmacies. The risks of this law vastly outweigh the benefits, if any.

Comments

Anonymous
So let me get this straight. A pharmacist is going to be allowed to open up an independent medical clinic, see totally new patients, diagnose them, script their meds totally independently, and then SELL those medications to the patient?
Have we learned absolutely nothing from the scandalous activity of oncologists who are the only doctors who sell the drugs they script for?
This will be an absolute disaster. Expect drug expenditures to increase 100 fold in a few years if this legislation goes thru.
P.S. Pharmacists are not trained in diagnosis. Adjusting medication levels for people already diagnosed is probalby OK, but pharmDs are in no way capable of new diagnoses.
Anonymous
It was my understanding that narcotics would not be among the drugs included in this act. And diagnosis wouldn’t be part of the picture.
Anonymous
Please tell me that it is true!!!
That would be so awesome if the drug seekers could skip the ER and go straight to the source.
Anonymous
Yeah, I don’t think anyone wants angry, manipulative drug-seekers in the pharmacy out in the open and scaring off other customers. Sounds like a recipe for inappropriate administration of narcs.
Anonymous
Couz, i think the article was unclear about narcotics. It made it seem like they wouldn’t be able to prescribe new cases, but WOULD be able to provide emergency supply. Fuzzy for sure.
Diagnosis is definitely part of the package. First, you can’t tx if you don’t have a dx. If you have a dx, then you’ve been to an MD and they could prescribe. Second, the article states that Manitoba allows PharmDs to order/recieve diagnostic labs = diagnosis.
Are PharmDs going to have to take any tests to prove/check/verify their dx skills? New boards, exams, CMEs of anykind? So they get new privileges w/o new training test? If so, lets let OR nurses do surgeries
Anonymous
“Have we learned absolutely nothing from the scandalous activity of oncologists who are the only doctors who sell the drugs they script for?”
Yes some oncologist’s did take advantage of the old system. HOWEVER, medicare never paid for the specialized chemo nursing/facilities. Just how did you expect oncologists in the old system to make ends meet if they didn’t mark up the drugs? The present system though imperfect is more fair (and will be tweaked even more) but your comment shows a complete lack of understanding why oncologists had to mark up the drugs in the old system in the first place.
Anonymous
I’m waiting for the first lawsuit…they can sue for malpractice in Canada right?
Anonymous
They can sue for malpractice in Canada, right? Only in cases of blatant malpractice, not like the bullshit U.S. “Lawsuit lottery” system. I’m sure no-one involved in the decision took “risk of litigation” into account. That’s a purely U.S. cancer.
Anonymous
“when drug-seekers skip the ER and harass pharmacies. “
A few weeks ago I had to get security to physically remove a guy from my ER when he threatened to Kill me and Sue me (in that order) because I wouldn’t give him narcotics. 2 Nights ago I saw him on the news. He killed a woman when she wouldn’t give him her pocketbook. No, keep them out of the pharmacies so they can only abuse us ER docs.
Anonymous
If he threatened to KILL you then why was he still out in public being able to commit murder? Isn’t it a crime to threaten to kill someone? Did you call the police and file charges against him? Better yet, why didn’t you admit him to the psych ward?
Anonymous
As an ER nurse I get threatened with my life all the time. Law enforcement just laughs if charges want to be pressed. the reply is usually something on the order of “He is just drunk”, “That is part of your job” (to deal with the abuse). To be fair I am sure cops get threatened by the same human scum all the time.

On April 1st, Canadaian Pharmcists will be Allowed to Prescribe

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