As front-line healthcare providers, pharmacists can offer you a number of health services. Here are the main ones.
The pharmacist’s role
The primary role of pharmacists is to ensure the correct use of medicines and the monitoring of drug treatments. They help to optimize these treatments in order to maintain or restore health.
As healthcare professionals, they can help you in several situations. For example, they can:
- Assess your state of health and the severity of your symptoms. They can then suggest actions to be taken (hydration, compresses, etc.) or over-the-counter treatments (ointments, painkillers, etc.) to relieve symptoms. If your condition warrants it, they will recommend that you consult another healthcare professional.
- Prescribe a medicine that has already been prescribed to you within the last 2 to 5 years, for certain minor health problems. Examples include urinary tract infections, eczema, allergic rhinitis and cold sores.
- Start certain preventive treatments, such as emergency contraception ("morning-after pill") or quit-smoking medication. Pharmacists can also prescribe an antibiotic if you have been bitten by a tick or antivirals if there is a risk of complications from influenza or COVID-19.
- Prescribe any over-the-counter medication. The drug may then qualify for insurance coverage. The prescription also allows pharmacists to label the product, which is required by schools and day-care centres, for example.
- Extend a prescription if you are unable to get an appointment with your physician before the expiry date. This prevents your treatment from being interrupted.
- Adjust a prescription to reduce side effects, avoid drug interactions or improve treatment effectiveness. For example, pharmacists may change a tablet that is difficult to swallow for a liquid form or modify the dosage.
- Replace a prescribed drug with a different one in the event of a shortage, an administrative problem or risk to your safety.
- Prescribe and interpret the results of blood tests or other tests to monitor the effectiveness and safety of your medication.
- Administer a medicine to show you how to use it, or in an emergency situation.
- Administer any vaccine to a person aged six or over. For the flu vaccine and travel vaccines, the minimum age is two years.
A problem?
If you are dissatisfied with the services provided by a pharmacist, recourse is available.
To file a complaint about the services provided by any pharmacist practicing in Québec, you can contact the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec.
In the case of a pharmacist in a healthcare institution (hospital, CHSLD, etc.) or FMG, you may also contact the service quality and complaints commissioner. Not happy with the commissioner's response? Contact the Protecteur du citoyen. Our services are free and there is no complicated red tape.
