As part of the Smoke Free Ontario Strategy, the Ontario Government recognizes pharmacists as valued healthcare professionals to support Ontarians who want to quit smoking.  Effective September 1, 2011, community pharmacists will be funded by the Ontario Government to provide a smoking cessation program to Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) recipients.  To be eligible for this [...]

Pharmacists who are part of BC’s Medication Management Program (MMP) will soon be able to continue building their MMP practice with provision of smoking cessation services to their patients. On May 9th, 2011, BC Premiere Christy Clark announced that starting September 30, 2011 the province is planning to: 1) Make nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) available to [...]

The Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) announced in an email blast to its members earlier this week that beginning  September 1, community pharmacists who provide smoking cessation services to Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) patients will be eligible to receive funding for their expertise and professional services in this area from Ontario Ministry of Health and Long [...]

The following article is from the CMAJ about government paying for smoking cessation:  http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/182/18/E810?etoc After reading the article let me know what you think. 1)  Should the government pay for smoking cessation products? 2)  Do you think that if someone really wants to quit that they will do it no matter what? 3)  Is nortriptyline [...]

Hello QUIT readers, Did you read the exciting news on expanding scope of practice for pharmacists in Ontario? The Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) released the draft regulations for the Pharmacy Act allowing pharmacists to expand their scope of practice. Pharmacists in Ontario will be able to (within defined limits): initiate, adapt or extend a prescription administer a [...]