Given the Yukon’s current state of emergency, the Government of Yukon is issuing a Ministerial Order to expand practice options for pharmacists. These temporary changes mirror provisions that were in place last year. There provisions help ensure that Yukoners can continue to safely access needed prescriptions during the pandemic. The changes ultimately help to decrease pressures on the healthcare system, doctors’ offices and emergency rooms.
Under the Order, pharmacists can now at their discretion do the following:
- Extend prescriptions originally made by physicians more than once when a patient is unable to see their physician.
- Transfer physician prescriptions for controlled drugs to other pharmacists within Canada.
- Be the original prescriber for minor ailments such as dermatitis, conjunctivitis and cold sores.
The temporary regulatory changes also allow pharmacists to extend and deliver physician prescriptions for controlled substances. This change aligns with Health Canada’s temporary exemption for prescriptions of controlled substances during the pandemic. It also supports the government’s response to the Yukon’s Substance Use Health Emergency by helping improve access to safe supply. Controlled substances include prescription medications such as opioids, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens and anabolic steroids.
These expanded practice options are in place for the duration of the state of emergency in response to COVID-19, and expire 30 days after the state of emergency ends.
The Yukon government will continue to explore permanent options that will allow pharmacists and the medical community to best support Yukoners and their health.
The Government of Yukon first introduced similar changes in May 2020, soon after declaring the territory’s first COVID-19 related state of emergency. These initial changes ended 30 days after this state of emergency lifted.
Yukon’s Pharmacists Regulation and standards of practice, as well as the Health Professions Act and federal regulations such as the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, dictate how pharmacists in the territory practice.
The Government of Canada issued a temporary exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in March 2020. The federal government made this exemption to support access to certain medications during the pandemic but it is up to each provincial and territorial jurisdiction to adjust their legislation to be eligible for the exemption.
The Government of Yukon has introduced temporary changes to how pharmacists can practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. These short-term changes will ensure Yukoners can continue to safely access needed prescriptions.
These new rules include:
- changes to how pharmacists can extend and initiate prescriptions; and
- changes to support Health Canada’s temporary exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Pharmacists will use their professional discretion in deciding when to use the new practice options available to them. In making their decisions they will be guided by the need to ensure both public and patient safety.
Changes to how pharmacists can extend and initiate prescriptions
Pharmacists can now use their discretion to:
- initiate prescriptions for certain medical conditions; and
- extend physician prescriptions up to 30 days more than once.
Changes to support exemptions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Pharmacists are now permitted to use their discretion to:
- transfer prescriptions originally made by physician for controlled substances to other pharmacies in Canada;
- arrange for delivery of controlled substances under certain circumstances;
- accept verbal orders from physicians for controlled substances; and
- extend prescriptions originally made by physicians for controlled substances, (limited to one seven-day extension for methadone and suboxone).
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Odile Nelson
Communications, Community Services
867-332-0886
odile.nelsonl@yukon.ca