Health Systems

The extensive education that pharmacists receive in medication dosage, dosage forms and optimal drug therapies qualifies them as drug specialists of Canada's healthcare system. Despite their expertise, however, pharmacists currently have little input in the design of drugs therapies for patients. Research has shown the effectiveness of pharmacists in intercepting prescription errors in their current limited roles 1. Based on this evidence, provinces, including Ontario, have pushed for reform that would give pharmacists prescribing privileges. However, physicians strongly oppose this measure, believing that it would endanger patient safety. With adverse drug reactions being one of the top 10 causes of death in Canada 2, placing pharmacists in roles that draw upon their drug expertise is in the best interest of patients.

For physicians, the primary point of concern in giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe medication relates to their level of qualification and expertise. They believe that pharmacists do not receive the level of training and education necessary to diagnose patients accurately. 3 Owing to this belief, they maintain that pharmacists would misdiagnose ailments, which would lead to erroneous prescriptions, and ultimately jeopardize patient safety.

This concern is rooted a false belief about the education of pharmacists, as well as a lack of understanding about the prescribing models for pharmacists. The average pharmacist undergoes a minimum of five years of education in which they receive thorough training that qualifies them as drug therapy specialists. Included in this education is knowledge of minor injuries and ailments, interchangeable drug therapies and monitoring 4. These skills are appreciated in community health teams, where pharmacists have taken on the role of not only educating and monitoring patients, but also advising and educating physicians to ensure the safe and efficient use of medication 4. In these roles pharmacists,