Pharmacists doing more than just filling prescriptions

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This article was published 17/10/2023 (1072 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A husband and wife from the Souris area plan to get their vaccines this cold and flu season from their local pharmacist, instead of waiting in line at a vaccine clinic or at their doctor’s office.

Bernie and Dolores Labossiere said they have always been faithful with their vaccines, and a few years ago realized they could “cut everybody’s time in half.”

“Our pharmacy was the go-to before the pandemic,” said Dolores. “We’ve sat in a lot of waiting rooms and wasted time.”

Bernie added, “We would sit for 45 minutes, get into the exam room and just like that we had our prescription. The stress was not worth it for us, and the doctor too, so we’re going straight to the source.”

The source is pharmacist Matthew Williams at the Souris Pharmasave who said he’s noticed an increase in patients in the last few years.

“This time of year is always busier with flu shots, and then the last few years with COVID shots,” Williams said. “More and more, it seems to be getting that way as we see a bit of a shortage of primary care providers, doctors, nurse practitioners, and things like that.”

Certified pharmacists have been able to administer vaccines to Manitobans seven years of age and older since 2014 when new regulations came into effect under the province’s Pharmaceutical Act.

And then in 2022, the age group was expanded to include those two years old and up and included the COVID-19 vaccine.

For Williams, the advantage of giving people their shot in the pharmacy is not only a benefit to their well being but it gets the best use out of the product as well.

“It’s partially because a flu shot can sit in the fridge once it’s open. But COVID shots, once they’re open, a lot of them only last six hours, or 24 hours, and that becomes very difficult for a doctor’s office to administer. That’s what we’re finding, at least here [in Souris].

“And for that reason, it’s easier for pharmacists and pharmacies to make appointments and gather enough people so there is no waste of doses in a vial,” Williams said.

Pharmacists haven’t been given the recognition they deserve when it comes to the scope of their work, beyond filling prescriptions, said Jeff Grant, regional pharmacy manager for Pharmasave.

“We are certainly much more than just a prescription filler. Unfortunately, that’s been the reputation of pharmacists for far too long, and I think that’s slowly changing.

“Pharmacists are highly trained and competent professionals and I think it’s being realized that they are not being utilized to their full abilities or using their full knowledge base, but over the last number of years government, patients, people are recognizing that pharmacists have a lot more that they can offer the healthcare system,” Grant said.

While pharmacists are bracing to be busier administering flu, COVID and pneumococcal flu shots, a percentage of Manitobans say they may hold off, according to a recent poll conducted by Abacus Data, a Canadian polling and market research firm, on behalf of the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA).

Nearly 57 per cent, or six in 10 Manitobans say they are tired of having to get vaccinated, and are experiencing what is being called vaccine fatigue.

But when asked if they intend to get the flu shot this fall, 54 per cent said yes, while 50 per cent, or half, said they are planning to get the COVID vaccine.

Ivan Klaczek and his wife Teresa from Gilbert Plains say that survey does not include them. “Not us,” said Teresa.

“We remember what it was like not being able to see our grandchildren, so we’re big believers in our vaccinations.”

Grandview pharmacy does not administer COVID shots, said pharmacist Pierce Cairns, who is one of two pharmacists who work six days a week.

When the vaccine first became available, the decision was made to have it administered by the town’s clinic, which he said has been working out well.

“We have been busier the last three years and that puts a bit of strain on our staffing, so not having to do the shots was helpful. That said, in general, I think it’s a good thing that pharmacies are able to do injections, but one just has to fit that into their particular business model,” said Cairns.

What Cairns would like to see more of, he added, is for Manitoba’s pharmacists to be able to write prescriptions for minor ailments as well as some chronic conditions.

That’s the hope, said Grant, Pharmasave’s regional pharmacy manager, “to keep up with other provinces.”

“If an individual has a cold sore and wanted to get a prescription to help manage it, they’d be able to go to the pharmacy in most other provinces, whereas unfortunately, in Manitoba, they can’t.

“Same with high blood pressure – in Alberta, an individual could speak to their pharmacist about managing it, but not in Manitoba,” Grant said.

Manitoba’s pharmacists can prescribe for people with allergies and those with skin conditions like acne and dermatitis. They can also write a prescription for a canker sore, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, and for urinary tract infections (UTI).

Back at the Grandview pharmacy, Cairns said it made sense to include a UTI.

“Something like 85 to 90 per cent women can self diagnose a recurrent UTI. So why on earth would you not make it more available for treatment. Now, that said, you do have to sit down and go through the proper red flags and make sure it’s not something more complex that’s beyond treatment ability. But that’s one where the province has started to pay for those services.”

Manitoba pharmacists can also assess and prescribe treatment for uncomplicated bladder infections, known as cystitis, and provide smoking cessation support and prescribed drugs that are commonly used to help individuals quit.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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