New training in Saskatchewan will allow pharmacists in the province to substitute medications under certain conditions.

According to the province, pharmacists will be able make faster adjustments in specific cases, such as supply disruptions or shortages of a prescribed drug, allowing them to prescribe an alternative.

“Pharmacists are trusted, highly skilled health professionals, who, in many communities, are the primary access point for health-care services,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in the news release.

“Giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe alternative medications means Saskatchewan patients can benefit from more timely and accessible health care.”

In addition to supply shortages, pharmacists will also have the ability to prescribe an alternative drug in other cases, including when a drug is withdrawn from the market, if the patient’s safety is at risk, or if the patient is unable to take the drug and would benefit from a different one or a different way of taking it.

Pharmacists will be required to take the training, meet competency requirements, and follow mandatory guidelines under the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals.

“Pharmacists are the health system’s medication experts. By expanding pharmacists’ scope and enabling them to replace a patient’s prescribed medication, the government is increasing health system capacity for Saskatchewan residents,” Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan CEO Michael Fougere said in the release.

Nine other provinces and territories have implemented similar policies, according to the news release.

Pharmacists in Saskatchewan were first given the authority to prescribe for four minor ailments in 2012, with that list growing to more than 30 conditions. Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals