B.C. pharmacists will soon have the authority to give injections to patients if regulatory changes proposed Tuesday are approved.
The Ministry of Health Services is proposing changes to the Health Professions Act that would allow qualified pharmacists to administer vaccinations and other injections to patients.
Under the proposed regulations, interested pharmacists will be required to complete a comprehensive training program before receiving authorization from the College of Pharmacists of B.C.
The standards of practice and training program are being developed jointly between the BC Pharmacy Association, the College of Pharmacists of B.C. and the BC Centre for Disease Control.
The province is expecting the regulatory changes and training to be completed by mid-fall to allow pharmacists time to prepare for the annual flu vaccination campaign the province is launching this fall.
The province is inviting the public to comment on the proposed changes over the next 30 days.
The Health Professions Act changes would further align B.C.'s health-care regulations with Alberta's. Since 2007, Alberta pharmacists have had similar authority to administer injections.
On Tuesday, the health ministry signed a new health supply purchasing agreement with its counterpart in Alberta. Under the agreement, both provinces will jointly award supply contracts through HealthPRO, a group purchasing organization with member health authorities across the country.