Gateway to the Health System: Your Pharmacist
Your pharmacist is there for you! Whether you’re looking to extend your prescription or get a new prescription for certain conditions, your pharmacy provides several healthcare services that can help you avoid a consultation elsewhere in the network. Services include:
- Prescribe a medication: Your pharmacist could prescribe medication to help you treat a minor health condition. Urinary tract infection, allergic conjunctivitis, shingles: the list goes on!
- Extend your prescription: Your prescription has run out, you need your medication, but you are unable to meet with your doctor or the health professional who gave you your prescription in the near future? Consult your pharmacist; he could extend your prescription.
- Adjust prescriptions: As you know, a pharmacist is often the health professional patients speak with the most. When addressing some health conditions like high blood pressure or certain types of diabetes, your pharmacist could adjust the dose of your medication to make the most of your treatment.
- Substitute your medication with another: Drug shortages are frequent and, more often than not, beyond the control of your pharmacist. However, when a shortage occurs, your pharmacist can provide you with an alternative drug.
- Order a lab test: During one of your consultations with your pharmacist, he might consider that a lab test, such as a blood test, is warranted. Rather than refer you to another healthcare professional, he can now provide you with the necessary prescription.
- Administer a vaccine or another medication: Your pharmacist can provide vaccination services (against influenza, prior to a trip, etc.), administer medication in an emergency situation such as an allergic reaction, or even show you how you can administer your medication yourself.
- Management of palliative care: End-of-life care is a very important stage in our lives and the lives of those we care for. Your trusted pharmacist can manage your treatment whether you choose to receive it in your own home, in a seniors’ residence, at a caregiver’s home or in a palliative care hospice.
- Care following hospital discharge: Your pharmacist will carefully assess your file to make sure that there were no oversights when you left the hospital. This important step will ensure an easier return home, and that you receive the best treatments, suited to your situation.
Find more information about the services offered by your pharmacist in the pamphlet Your Pharmacist: Now More Helpful than Ever! and try out the clickable guide at Your Pharmacist Does More+
Additional Resources – My Pharmacist