Full injection and immunization authority planned for Ontario pharmacists
| Autor: | Kathie Lynas |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: |
Government
medicine.medical_specialty Scope of practice business.industry health care facilities manpower and services Public health education Pharmacist Alternative medicine Pharmaceutical Science Legislation Pharmacy Public interest health services administration Family medicine Notes Health care medicine business health care economics and organizations |
| Zdroj: | Canadian pharmacists journal : CPJ = Revue des pharmaciens du Canada : RPC. 145(2) |
| ISSN: | 1715-1635 |
| Popis: | The wheels are in motion to give Ontario pharmacists the regulatory authority to administer routine injections and immunizations, with the Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA) expecting several hundred pharmacists to have received training in the practice by the end of March 2012. Pharmacists were given the authority to administer injections for demonstration or education purposes in Bill 179, the 2009 legislation that expanded scope of practice in a number of areas. Disappointed that full injection authority wasn't included at the time, the OPA has been advocating for its inclusion ever since. “We've been telling the government that approving this authority would be in the public interest,” says OPA chief executive officer Dennis Darby. “Over time there has been much more data showing that pharmacists can do this. For example, British Columbia has done very well, with over 1000 of their pharmacists now trained and administering injections and vaccines.” In December 2011, the Council of the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) approved a draft regulation that eliminated the restriction, paving the way for full authority to administer drugs by injection. The new registrar of the College is Marshall Moleschi, most recently the registrar of the College of Pharmacists of BC. A 60-day consultation period on the proposed new rules was to end in mid-February, after which the OCP planned to seek government approval. The OPA launched its injection and immunization certificate program in June of last year. According to Darby, it is expected that around 400 Ontario pharmacists will have completed the program by the end of March. “Our objective is to have at least 1000 pharmacists trained by fall of this year,” he says. “Provided the regulation is passed by then, that would put pharmacists in a good position to start administering the seasonal flu vaccine.” Pharmacists in BC and elsewhere have demonstrated the value they bring to the health care system when they participate in flu vaccination, says Darby. “From a public health point of view, there is a lot of added value in terms of convenience and accessibility. It's particularly important for seniors to protect themselves against influenza, and many seniors have close relationships with their pharmacist. It provides an opportunity for pharmacists to help ensure these patients get vaccinated.” |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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