Quebec pharmacists have more powers: What are they?

Pharmacists in Quebec can treat certain minor health problems or offer preventative treatments.

Last month, the Quebec government tabled Bill 67, saying it was going to give pharmacists more power to help people with certain health concerns.

"I think that everybody wins by not having to go to a doctor's office or an emergency room to have a prescription for something that you know that you have," said Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel at the time.

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) says the goal is to have pharmacies to be a one-stop shop to help people with minor health problems or common illnesses.

"Bill 67 aims to revise pharmacists' scope of practice and the activities reserved for them, including prescribing drugs and extending prescriptions," notes Marie-Claude Lacasse, a communications coordinator with the Quebec Health Ministry.

Some of the things pharmacists can do are modify a prescription, substitute one drug for another or request tests to assess the impact of a treatment.

Pharmacists can also prescribe medication for certain health conditions or offer preventative treatments.

They can also give a patient a drug if it has already been prescribed in the past two to five years by a doctor.