Working with Pharmacy Professionals
Introduction
Pharmacists’ scope of practice continues to evolve, particularly with respect to the minor ailments program and tangible, effective pharmacy to physician communication.
This page is meant as a resource for SMA members to educate themselves on the issues and to access tools to help develop a sincere, collaborative working relationship with the pharmacists who serve their patients.
Collaborative Practice
The SCPP’s Regulatory Bylaws state that pharmacists are allowed to do Level 1 prescribing (including prescribing for minor ailments) if a Collaborative Practice Environment exists between the pharmacist and the patient’s physician. This Collaborative Practice Environment is assumed, unless a physician specifically communicates (orally or in writing) to the pharmacist that no such environment exists for a particular patient or class of patients.
Pharmacist’s scope of practice is anticipated to change in early 2024. Following the change, a physician must communicate in writing to the pharmacist that no such environment exists, including the nature of the concerns and the individual patient or class of patients impacted, and the physician must confirm that the patient or class of patients have been informed of the concerns with the pharmacist’s prescribing and the potential impact on care. This resource will be updated at that time.
The SMA has developed a template Letter Severing a Collaborate Practice Environment. A physician may provide the Letter to a pharmacist to sever the Collaborative Practice Environment for a specific patient or class of patients. According to the SCPP’s Regulatory Bylaws, pharmacists who have been provided direction by a physician severing the Collaborative Practice Environment cannot do Level 1 prescribing for that physician’s patient(s).
The SCPP’s Regulatory Bylaws state pharmacists are allowed to do Level 2 prescribing where a written Collaborative Practice Agreement exists. The SCPP provides resources to develop a Collaborative Practice Agreement allowing this type of prescribing (links below).
Collaborative care, as referenced in the SCPP’s Regulatory Bylaws, is the best approach to deliver collegial, safe, and sustainable patient care management.
Questions and Answers
Collaborative care, as referenced in the SCPP’s Regulatory Bylaws, is the best approach to deliver collegial, safe, and sustainable patient care management. The SMA offers the template as a tool for physicians to use if they encounter a situation which warrants ending a pharmacist’s Level 1 prescribing for a patient or class of patients.
The Letter indicates clearly, and transparently, where you, as a physician, have concerns when it comes to the pharmacist prescribing something for your patient or class of patients. After receiving the Letter, the pharmacist cannot prescribe for your patient(s) although they can continue to dispense medications.
A patient will need to see you before a prescription is given. The goal here is to enhance patient safety.
The Letter springs from wording in the SCPP’s Regulatory Bylaws under which all pharmacists in Saskatchewan practice. A practitioner is allowed to sever the Collaborative Practice Environment between themselves and the pharmacist, which means the pharmacist could not prescribe for that physician’s patient(s) although they could continue to dispense medications.
Check the SCPP’s public database of pharmacists in Saskatchewan here.
There is no requirement to notify the SMA when you send out this Letter; but please feel free to copy the SMA on your correspondence as we are monitoring this issue for all members.