Pharmacist Prescribing for Minor Ailments
OCP has submitted a proposal to Minister of Health to expand pharmacists scope to prescriber medications for Minor Ailments and is currently pending approval. Minor ailments criteria include:
- Health conditions that can be reliably self-diagnosed by a patient who is familiar with their condition, and managed with self-care strategies and/or minimal treatment.
- Short-term conditions
- Lab results aren’t usually required to make an assessment or prescribe the appropriate medication
- Low risk of treatment masking underlying conditions
- Medications and medical histories can reliably differentiate more serious conditions
- Only minimal or short-term follow-up with the patient is required
The proposed regulations allows pharmacist to prescribe for the following conditions and medications. The AHFS medication categories are broad and final list of medications yet to be clarified.
| Uncomplicated UTI | Anti-infective Agents: Antibacterials. Sulfonamides (8:12.20) Anti-infective Agents: Urinary Anti-infectives (8:36 |
| Dermatitis (atopic/eczema, allergic and contact skin rashes) | Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-inflammatory Agents. Corticosteroids (84:06.08) |
| Insect bites (including tick bites) and urticaria (hives) | Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-inflammatory Agents. Corticosteroids (84:06.08) Antibiotic Tetracyclines (8:12:24) |
| Conjunctivitis (bacterial, allergic, viral) | Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Preparations: Anti-infectives. Antibacterials (52:04.04) Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Preparations: Antiallergic Agents (52:02) |
| Allergic rhinitis (nasal symptoms from allergies) | Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Preparations: Anti-inflammatory Agents. Corticosteroids (52:08.08) Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Preparations: Antiallergic Agents (52:02) |
| Candidal stomatitis (oral thrush) | Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-infectives. Antifungals. Polyenes (84:04.08.28) |
| Herpes labialis (cold sores) | Anti-infective Agents: Antivirals. Nucleosides and Nucleotides (8:18.32) Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-infectives. Antivirals (84:04.06) Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-inflammatory Agents. Corticosteroids (84:06.08) |
| Hemorrhoids | Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-inflammatory Agents. Corticosteroids (84:06.08) Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Antipruritics and Local Anesthetics (84:08) Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Miscellaneous Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents (84:36) |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) | Gastrointestinal Drugs: Antiulcer Agents and Acid Suppressants. Histamine H2-Antagonists (56:28.12) |
| Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) | Central Nervous System Agents: Analgesics and Antipyretics. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents. Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents (28:08.04.92) |
| Musculosketelal sprains and strains | Central Nervous System agents: Analgesics and Antipyretics. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents. COX-2 inhibitors (28:08.04.08) Central Nervous System agents: Analgesics and Antipyretics. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents. Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents (28:08.04.92) |
| Impetigo (bacterial skin infection common in children) | Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-infectives. Antibacterials (84:04.04) Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents: Anti-inflammatory Agents. Corticosteroids (84:06.08) |
References:
- https://www.ocpinfo.com/consultation/expanding-scope-of-practice-pharmacist-prescribing-for-minor-ailments/
- https://www.ocpinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Minor-Ailments-Advisory-Group-MAAG-Summary-of-Recommendations-Pharmacist-Prescribing.pdf