Prince Edward Island is adding three new medical services to its provincial pharmacy program.
Islanders can now be assessed and treated for impetigo and shingles by their pharmacist, the province said in a statement Monday.
Pharmacists on P.E.I. can also assess and prescribe hormonal contraception.
With these recent additions, pharmacists on the Island are now publicly funded to assess and prescribe for 35 common ailments, including sore throat, seasonal allergies, minor joint pain, thrush, heartburn, and some skin conditions like eczema and acne.
This program, called Pharmacy Plus PEI, started as a pilot and has become a permanent service, Health Minister Mark McLane said.
“Pharmacists continue to be trusted health care providers in communities throughout the province, and we would like to thank our incredible pharmacy teams for making this program a success,” McLane said in a statement Monday.
From October 2022 to June 2023, the province said there have been over 40,000 assessments completed at pharmacies through the program, which has been used by more than 28,000 patients.
One in six, or 17 per cent, of Island residents have sought treatment at a pharmacy through the program.
Erin MacKenzie, executive director of the PEI Pharmacists Association, said in a statement that residents have been “asking for their pharmacists to do even more.”
“And the addition of these three new services will build on the success of this truly innovative PEI Program,” MacKenzie said.
The move to add new pharmacy services comes as the province — like the rest of Atlantic Canada — deals with a shortage of family doctors.
Islanders seeking treatment for 35 different ailments can recieve care at 49 pharmacy locations in the province. Appointments for assessments can be booked online or over the phone.
