Pharmacies across B.C. prepare to care for minor ailments, prescribe various medications for those in need

KAMLOOPS — As of June 1, pharmacies across British Columbia can diagnose and prescribe medications for 21 minor illnesses like acne and shingles. Kamloops pharmacist Julie Ford says this will help those who don’t have a family doctor.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long long long time,” Ford tells CFJC Today. “I think most pharmacists would say that they feel that this would be hugely beneficial to patients. Hopefully this will ease the burden on the healthcare system especially the ER and help those patients who don’t have a family doctor or a nurse practitioner.”

Additionally, Ford states in order for people to get access to prescribed medications, they will need to book an appointment with a pharmacist online.

” There’s a website called seeyourpharmacist.ca. Go to that website, find a pharmacy near you or the one that you use. Then you’re going to book an appointment. Every pharmacy will have a different method of doing it. You go to your appointment and the pharmacist will sit down with you in a private consultation room and spend time going through whatever’s bothering you and then assess the situation and help you if they can. If not they can refer you.”

The province will launch a website as on June 29 allowing British Columbians to book an appointment with a pharmacist.