Prescription powers being expanded
19.11.2008 22:57
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
P.E.I. will spread out the power to prescribe drugs in response to a report released Tuesday reviewing health-care services on the Island. Optometrists across P.E.I. will soon be able to give out certain kinds of prescriptions to their patients, and that will improve services for them, said Susan Judson, head of the P.E.I. Association for Optometrists. "You would have to go to a night clinic or outpatients, or see if you can get in to see your family doctor, and of course that would mean a very long wait in some cases," Judson told CBC News. "Most optometrists are much more accessible and can often see you in a few hours, and usually certainly the same day." The province passed legislation last spring allowing optometrists to have certain prescription rights, and it is moving to provide some prescribing powers to pharmacists. Judson said optometrists will be allowed to prescribe antibiotics, steroids and anti-inflammatories, and they already have the training to administer those types of drugs. A committee of optometrists, pharmacists and the Department of Health will regulate which classes of medication optometrists will be able to prescribe. The change in prescribing powers is part of a general move towards having other health-care workers provide services that were previously provided exclusively by doctors. The move includes expanding the use of nurse practitioners and maximizing the training of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and resident care workers. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksEmergency medical services to be cut back on P.E.I.P.E.I. pharmacists to be able to prescribeHealth HeadlinesLead contamination levels drop in Canadians : StatsCanLead levels in the blood of Canadians have dropped dramatically over the last 30 years.Doctors allege intimidation in raising drug warnings, investigation showsTwo physicians who tried to warn about the high risk of serious side-effects of the Type 2 diabetes drug Avandia allege they were intimidated by the company that sells it, a CBC investigation revealed Wednesday.South Carolina teen survives 4 months without heartA teenager in the U.S. said she felt like a "fake person" living for 118 days without a heart beating in her chest in-between heart transplants.Antibiotics disrupt gut longer than previously thought, study shows The common antibiotic ciprofloxacin disrupts normal bacterial levels in the digestive tract of healthy adults for six months, longer than previously thought, study suggests. Kids, teens chugging 20% of daily calories: StatsCanWater is the drink of choice for most Canadians but children and teens are sipping a significant proportion of their daily calories, Statistics Canada suggested in a report released Wednesday. Health FeaturesVIDEOTooth decayChronic, infectious childhood disease? (5:53)YOUR STORYMedical ConditionsHOCKEYConcussionsHow to handle hockey's head casesYOUR INTERVIEWPesticides and cancerFind out moreFOODNutritionThe skinny on sugars and sweetenersWEEKLY CHECKUPBody checkingIs there a good time to introduce it to kids' hockey?People who read this also read …
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