International News

摘要

Pharmacists in Ontario could be given new powers to assesspatients and prescribe medication for a number of commonailments, including coughs, sore throats, pink eye and urinarytract infections. Premier Doug Ford’s first budget, introducedrecently, included measures to expand the scope of practice forseveral healthcare providers – which it calls a “basic change” tosave patients time and money. Instead of referring a patient toa physician, pharmacists would be given the ability to performon-site assessments and prescribe medications, while alsoadministering flu shots to children above the age of two.