Nova Scotia pharmacists can now treat tick bites

Pharmacists in Nova Scotia now have the authority to diagnose and treat tick bites that can lead to Lyme disease.

Black-legged ticks, which are prevalent in the province, are known to carry the bacteria that can lead to Lyme disease if not treated by antibiotics. 

The move, which came into effect Aug. 1, should take some of the pressure off provincial emergency rooms and walk-in clinics, says Curtis Chafe, a pharmacist and former chair of the board of directors at the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia.

"They can go to their pharmacy, have a pharmacist do an assessment and see whether or not some preventative treatment is worth pursuing," Chafe said. 

Any licensed pharmacist in N.S. can provide service

Any licensed pharmacist in Nova Scotia is authorized to provide the service.

Chafe said Lyme disease cases have increased tenfold in Nova Scotia over the past 10 years, but he said it is still "not as prevalent as one might think."

He said most people get exposed to ticks by walking through tall grass.

Chafe said the first response should be to remove the tick. He recommends using a pair of tweezers to grasp the tick by the head and pull it straight out. 

He said tick removal kits are also available at some pharmacies. 

After removal he recommends taking a photo of the tick, or better yet, securing it in a resealable plastic bag and showing it to the pharmacist or doctor. 

According to Chafe, the telltale symptom of Lyme disease is a characteristic bulls-eye shaped rash at the site of the bite. 

"There's a kind of a ring of non-red skin and then there's another ring of red inflamed skin. It's very telltale and it's not very hard to miss," Chafe said.