Updates have been made to the Government of New Brunswick’s Pharmacy Services Program, including eligibility criteria. Of particular interest to pharmacists authorized to assess and prescribe for common ailments is the addition of funding for pharmacist assessment and prescribing for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) in patients older than 64 years. This service was previously funded for patients “16-64 years old” and is now inclusive of those 16 years of age and older.
This does not represent a change to the scope of practice for Pharmacists in New Brunswick, as assessment and prescribing for UTIs for patients older than 64 years of age is already within scope. However, this amendment does represent an increase in patient access to funded pharmacist services.
As always, Pharmacists are expected to exercise their skills, experience and knowledge to determine when it is appropriate to refer the patient to another health care provider, and/or if the symptoms indicate that the UTI may be complicated. Appendix 1 of the College document “Prescribing for Common Ailments” lists resources which may aid in guidance on the difference between uncomplicated and complicated UTIs.
For more information, please consult the Pharmacy Services webpage.
Additional Resources:
Cystitis – Acute, Uncomplicated | medSask
Assessment & Prescribing Algorithm for Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection (Cystitis) (ocpinfo.com)
Complicated Urinary Tract Infections – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
Adult Urinary Tract Infection | Horizon Health Network | Firstline
Vitalité Health Network | Firstline