Pharmacists to join swine flu fight

The New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society says it will soon have new rules in place allowing its members to vaccinate people against swine flu despite a series of internal delays.

The provincial government plans to offer the swine flu vaccine to every New Brunswick resident this fall.

Last year, the Liberal government passed a law that gave pharmacists the authority to renew prescriptions and give needles. These steps would open the door for pharmacists to join in public health efforts such as the swine flu vaccination program.

But the pharmaceutical society, the profession's self-regulating body, still hasn't approved its own rules governing how its members will actually meet these requirements. This delay means pharmacists still cannot actually give needles or renews prescriptions.

"Hindsight's a wonderful thing. It should have been in place for last year, I suppose. But we can only do so much with the resources that are available," said Gary Meek, the society's assistant registrar.

The society's council will vote on the new rules this month.

Once that obstacle has been overcome, there is one other problem facing pharmacists before they can join the swine flu fight in New Brunswick.

A short program at Dalhousie University in Halifax to train pharmacists to give needles isn't ready.

Meek said the society may go elsewhere for the training so that pharmacists could still join the vaccination effort this fall.

Danielle Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said the province will need a range of professionals pitching in to help vaccine people from the swine flue virus this fall.

"The office of the chief medical officer of health has expressed that there are several options being considered for the delivery of a vaccine, and those might include relicensing retired health-care workers, using nursing students, paramedics, pharmacists, etc.," she said.