Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate James Teitsma (Radisson) announced on Tuesday that if Heather Stefanson’s PC government is re-elected, they will collaborate with pharmacists and regulators to expand primary care services. .This initiative aims to offer Manitobans quicker access to primary care and help ease the strain on the healthcare system..“Right now, the only option to treat many minor and common ailments is to visit your doctor or walk-in clinic, which can be inconvenient and cause delays,” said Teitsma. .“Now, if your kid has strep throat or an infection, instead of a trip to the doctor, you can walk into your local pharmacy, get assessed at no cost and walk out with a prescription. This will save time and money, improve access, and increase productivity in our healthcare system.”.Teitsma stated the PC government would have pharmacists treat common ailments such as strep throat, pink eye, minor skin infections, tick bites, sprains, strains and painful menstrual periods. .Additionally, they plan to improve the management of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes through pharmacy services..“Access to primary care is essential to living a quality and healthy life, no matter where you live in Manitoba. Pharmacists are well-trained, capable, and highly regulated, but underutilized in Manitoba,” said Teitsma. .“Allowing them to provide more primary care services to Manitobans will relieve pressure on our healthcare system and connect patients and families with more care closer to home.”.Teitsma said that before implementing these changes, there would be consultations with pharmacists and regulators to determine the scope of care to be offered..“We’re incredibly pleased to see this commitment to bring the scope of pharmacy practice in Manitoba to the level found in other provinces across Canada,” said Darren Murphy, CEO of Northway Pharmacy and board president of Pharmacists Manitoba. .“Pharmacists have the skills, education and ability to help ensure Manitobans receive the right care at the right time in the right place in a manner that is timely, appropriate, easy and equitable.”.PC candidate Lauren Stone (Midland) pointed out expanding point-of-care services at pharmacies would help the capacity of Manitoba's healthcare system. .This expansion would positively affect rural and remote communities, where access to healthcare can be more challenging, particularly when waiting for lab results, which can lead to longer delays..“Providing more service options will make a real difference for my neighbours,” said Stone. .“Being able to walk down to your local pharmacy instead of having to drive into the city means a lot to people living in rural Manitoba.” .Expanding access to primary care within pharmacies is a part of the PC's initiatives to improve the healthcare system. Their plan includes recruiting 150 new family doctors to Manitoba and hiring an additional 300 nurses and support staff from the Philippines..On Monday, the PCs pledged $120 million over four years for a permanent healthcare recruitment fund to build Manitoba's healthcare workforce, with $40 million for rural communities..READ MORE MB PCs layout healthcare plan, $120 million recruitment fund, new facilities.This new fund will build upon the Health Human Resources Action Plan, which recruited over 2,000 healthcare professionals into Manitoba's workforce in the past year..The Manitoba election is set for October 3, 2023, with early voting running from September 23 until September 30.
