Ontarians can already get some routine vaccines administered at the drugstore, and now pharmacists are calling on the province to make more vaccines free and easier to access – a move they say would help relieve some of the burden on the healthcare system.
The idea is not a new one, as Health Minister Sylvia Jones pledged to expand pharmacists’ powers last summer. But nearly a year later, it has yet to be implemented.
Pharmacist Kyro Maseh of Lawlor Pharmacy argues some patients are unnecessarily jumping through hoops to get what they need. While some vaccines may be covered if administered at a doctor’s office, they may not be covered in a pharmacy.
“Right now if I identify a patient is 66 and they require a shingles vaccine, then I have to tell them to call their doctor, book an appointment, wait for the appointment, take up an appointment slot from their physicians schedule, just to get a shingles vaccine, and then do that again in two months time,” explained Maseh.
“It makes no sense because if I have the vaccine in my fridge in the pharmacy, I can just vaccinate the patient, let the doctor know that it happened, and that’s kind of it.”
Maseh says some patients may not have a family doctor or may not be able to afford the out-of-pocket expense, which for the shingles vaccine is about $180 per dose.
In a statement to CityNews, a spokesperson for Minister Jones did not specify how soon this new measure could be implemented.
“Our government is currently exploring innovative ways to make pharmacies a one-stop shop for people to conveniently connect to care by expanding the ability of pharmacists to provide care, including administering additional publicly funded vaccines,” read the statement.
Aside from the shingles vaccine, the province is also looking at covering the shots for tetanus and diphtheria, among others, when given in a community pharmacy.
“It’s a very obvious answer for a broad problem that we have,” said Maseh, noting many other provinces, such as Alberta and B.C., have already adopted similar practices.
