Oakville Beaver | Thursday, January 12, 2023 | 4 insidehalton.com CALLING THE SHOTS NEVER GETS OLD At Amica Bronte Harbour, the day is yours to spend any way you wish. Whether you like to keep busy and stay social or relax and take things at your own pace, we'll work to discover what makes you, you. Together we'll create a senior living experience that’s all yours, including personalized, professional care that evolves to meet your needs, even as those needs change. And, like spending the afternoon shooting the breeze, that never gets old. Join us for a complimentary lunch & private tour. AMICA BRONTE HARBOUR 160 BRONTE RD = AMICA.CA/BRONTEHARBOUR IBNEWS ONTARIO TO ALLOW PHARMACIES TO PRESCRIBE MEDICATION KYLE MARSHALL kmarshall@metroland.com The Province of Ontario ‘ing it easier for peo- ple to connect to care closer to home by launching phar- macist prescribing for some common medical ail- ments. Ontarians are now able to go to pharmacies across the province to receive pre- scriptions for 13 ailments, tract infections using only their health card. This service makes it more convenient to receive care by eliminating a tor's office visit and comes at no extra cost to Ontari- ans. "Stopping by your local hi for some of your mo: mon ailments increases your access to the care you need closer to home," said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Pre- Minister of “Expanding the ability of pharmacists to provide care is one more way we're putting people at the centre of our health care system, making it easier, faster and more convenient to access health care in their com- munity," she said. harmacist: Swill beable to offer prescripti + hay fever ionic, thi nitis); + oral thrush (candida tomate) ink eye (conjunctivi- tis; bacterial, allergic and vi . dermatitis (atopic, gc. zema, allergic tact); + menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea); + acid reflux (gastro: esophageal reflux disease (GERD)); + hemorrho! «cold sores ‘iepes labi- alis). OPPERs DRuG vn st Julie Jocsak/ Metroland Ontarians will soon be able to stop in at pharmacies to get prescribed medication for 13 ailments without a visit to a doctor's office. +imy . + insect bites and hives. + tick bites (post-expo- sure prophylaxis to pre- vent Lyme disease). * sprains and strains (musculoskeletal); and + urinary tract infec- tions (UTIs). ith wince-" wide footprint, pharmacist p1 scribing ‘Ip inerease access to c: ral eas of Ontario. In addition to more convenience, phar- macy prescribing will also help free-up doctors' band- width to provide care for more complex needs, help- ing to reduce wait times for these services. “Empowering pharma- cists to use their expertise nee helps patients get r to home — but the benefits go much fur- ther," says Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Phar- hospitals, emergency de- partments, walk-in clinics and family physicians,” said Bates. "It also frees up time for our healthcare partners, allowing doctors, nurses and other health- care providers to focus on more complex care cases." Quick Facts + A common ailment is something that can be reli- ably self-diagnosed and managed with z strategies and/or minimal treatment. + Anyone with symp- toms should contact their local pharmacist to con- pan whether they provide prescribing services for certain common ailments before visiting. + This change builds on pharmaci ent Provides, * kills andi jad gement to recommend tions and allows physi- cians to focus on the more complex health care needs of their patient + These changes are be- made in partnership with the Ontario College of Pharma . ‘Ontarians can now al so visit local pharmaci for Paxlovid prescriptions, Visit ontario.ca/antivirals for more information on el- igibility and to find local pharmacies that are dis- pensing Paxlovid. Visit ontario.ca/com- monailments for more de- tails.