Doctors Nova Scotia provided input into recent changes to pharmacy regulations, and will continue to collaborate with the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists and the Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons on the development of the standards of practice.

These standards must be in place before the new regulations can be enacted.

The new regulations will enable pharmacists to:

• Prescribe drugs typically sold from behind the counter or from the area in front of the pharmacist
• Refill or modify a prescription using their own judgment; for example, changing it from tablet to liquid if it would be easier for the patient to swallow
• Extend prescriptions for more than 30 days, if appropriate
• Provide certain medications to patients when their doctor isn’t available
• Change prescriptions to avoid delays dispensing them to patients