Province Looking at Allowing Pharmacists to Give Flu Shots

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 03:58 AM

Victoria, B.C. - The Province is preparing for the fall flu season when the H1N1 flu is expected to come back with a vengeance. The Province is setting the groundwork to allow pharmacists to provide certain types of injections, including vaccinations and flu shots.

"The proposed change is an innovative use of the talents and expertise of British Columbia's pharmacists to help provide increased access to safe health care services," says Health Minister Kevin Falcon. "We want to hear what the public and stakeholders have to say about the changes to further expand the scope of practice for pharmacists as part of a 30-day consultation phase."

Under the proposed regulations, interested pharmacists will be required to successfully complete a comprehensive training program before receiving authorization from the College of Pharmacists of B.C. to administer injections, including vaccinations. The college will also establish standards of practice for injections based on the recommendations of an inter-professional committee.

"Pharmacists are indeed one of the most accessible of all healthcare providers," said Marshall Moleschi, registrar of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. "We will maintain our focus on providing patients with the safe, high-quality standard of care and service they have come to expect from the province's pharmacists."

The new regulations are now web-posted for public consultation at http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/leg/notice/pharmacy.html. The Ministry of Health Services is asking stakeholders and the public to submit comments on the proposed regulations within 30 days. The ministry hopes regulatory changes and pharmacist training will be completed by mid-fall, to allow pharmacists to assist with the annual flu vaccination campaign in the fall, including vaccinations for H1N1 flu.

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Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 03:58 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: He spoke on July 22 2009 12:05 PM

Sure, I like to find out how they will compete with charging $12.50 for the service, while the walk in clinic does it for free.

Posted by: thereasonableman on July 22 2009 12:22 PM

I think it's a good idea.

Posted by: mythoughts on July 22 2009 12:31 PM

me too, it is a good idea...frees up doctors' time.

Posted by: Loki on July 22 2009 3:20 PM

pharmacists are trained dispense medicines, they do not have the training to inject.

Also think about this, in a clinic or doctors office, there are hygiene protocols in place, in a pharmacy that is most likely in a hardware store or grocery store, not so much. Do you really want to have the convenience of having your skin punctured in that environment?

Posted by: gus on July 22 2009 3:47 PM

I can give myself a subcutaneous injection. Many people give themselves prescribed drugs using subcutaneous injections.

The health unit has provided such services in the past fro free. That provides a semblance of control of who gets what. Is that stopping?

Posted by: Chester on July 22 2009 5:59 PM

I will be doing my homework before I line up for any shots. The real issue (risk) is not who is administering the shots, but the shots themselves.

Do you really need one? And who is behind this massive province wide program? Don't be afraid to do some inquiring yourself. Just because they say it is something the government is recommending make it necessary. You do have a choice.

Don't be afraid to think for yourself. Government doesn't always know what is best for you.

Posted by: Harbinger on July 22 2009 7:11 PM

A thousand years ago, (early sixties actually) while I was in high school there was a "future nurses club" dispensing some kind of vaccination or other in the cafeteria. Got a picture of them in my 1965 yearbook. My, how times have changed, eh? Go figure.

Posted by: acrider54 on July 22 2009 8:21 PM

The "Province" (B.C. Liberal government) always knows what's best for us. I don't know what I would do without them.

Posted by: gus on July 23 2009 2:34 AM

Thid has already happened in most of the USA.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/should-pharmacists-give-flu-shots

The quote "The proposed change is an INNOVATIVE use of the talents ......" is political posturing. Is something innovative when it is already done in other regions of the world? Relative to BC it might be new. Relative to the US, it is old.

Posted by: thereasonableman on July 23 2009 11:42 AM

Good lord, you could give yourself the injection if they handed you the needle. Millions of diabetics give themselves injections every day in every condition, in every environment.

This is not an IV injection, it is simply puncturing the skin. It does not go into your veins.

If it was an IV injection the risk would be somewhat higher.

I would almost expect that one day you will go to the pharmacy to buy your flu shot and give it to yourself with an automated pen, such as people with allergies do with the "Epi-Pen".