Ontario pharmacists' long-awaited regulation on expanded scope of practice was expected to be in effect by mid-September, including a provision that was recently added to allow pharmacists to vaccinate against influenza.
The expanded scope includes authorization to prescribe for smoking cessation, to extend and adapt prescriptions, and to administer injections or inhalations for demonstration or education purposes.
“Pharmacists have been waiting a long time to have the ability to provide Ontarians with better access to health care and more complete care,” says Allan Malek, Senior Vice President, Professional Affairs, Drug Information and Continuing Education for the Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA). “Through the expanded scope, pharmacists will have a greater ability to monitor and adjust therapies and to further improve medication management for patients.”
The draft regulation was recently amended to allow members of the profession to administer flu vaccines. Consideration is being given to another amendment that would expand the immunization authority beyond influenza; however, it has been put on the back burner for the time being, says Mr. Malek.
“That amendment is something the government is very interested in, but they want to flesh it out more. It is still being considered, but because it will take more discussion and require more feedback from other health care sectors, they didn't want to rush that.”
In the shorter term, pharmacists will be in a position to help the province pursue its goal of increasing flu vaccination rates, which are among the lowest in the country.
“Rates for flu vaccines in Ontario dropped in 2011, the year after the H1N1 pandemic,” Mr. Malek says. “Rates among the population as a whole are down to around 25%. In seniors, an important target population, the rates are in the 60% range, when they should be more than 80%.”
“We're confident that pharmacists will be able to help boost the rates, given the ease of accessibility and longer hours of operation.”
To be able to administer injections, including flu vaccinations, pharmacists are required to complete a training program approved by the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) and be certified in CPR and first aid.
By mid-August, around 800 pharmacists had completed the training and according to Mr. Malek, the number is expected to reach 1500 by the end of the year.
“We are thrilled with the level of interest and uptake by pharmacists,” he says. “It's exceeded our expectations; we have never seen numbers like this before for any education program.”
In mid-August, the OPA was still working with the provincial government to reach agreement on compensation levels for the expanded services, including flu vaccination.