New pharmacy clinic aims to ease stress on health-care system in Mississauga
Published April 12, 2024 at 2:15 pm
As the health-care system faces pressures, a new pharmacy clinic aims to help in Mississauga.
A pharmacy health clinic is now open inside the Metro grocery store at 910 Southdown Rd. in Mississauga.
Recent data from the Ontario College of Family Physicians found that more than 223,000 people in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon do not have a family doctor and that this number could reach 430,000 in 2026.
These stark numbers are attributed to the number of family doctors expected to retire, the number of family medicine graduates entering the profession, and the expected population growth in Ontario.
While it is no substitute for a family doctor, last year the provincial government expanded services pharmacists can offer including prescribing treatments for 13 common conditions such as pink eye, hemorrhoids and urinary tract infections.
And pharmacies are now starting to offer dedicated space for assessments and consultations.
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The Metro Pharmacy Health Clinic recently renovated its space inside the store to include a consultation room to see patients, Vanessa Wamsley, the pharmacy operations manager told insauga.com. The clinic opened in October.
The consultation room is similar to what you might see at a doctor’s office with an exam bed and a desk area, Wamsley said.
“So, after assessing, if it’s appropriate, the pharmacist can prescribe medications as well,” she said.
The clinic is staffed by trained pharmacists who can identify, assess and prescribe for the treatment of 19 minor ailments such as allergies, strains and sprains, urinary tract infections as well as provide vaccinations and other services.
These services are generally covered under Ontario’s Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) but there are a few services such as travel vaccinations (after a consult with a doctor) and point-of-care testing that have a fee.
Point-of-care testing is an on-the-spot test for health monitoring such as blood glucose or cholesterol.
The goal of the clinic is to alleviate some of the challenges of the health-care system. Pharmacy clinics can free up appointment times for patients who need to see a doctor, Wamsley said.
“We want to be able to help address some of the health care needs in the communities we serve,” said Wamsley. “People are already in the grocery store shopping. So we can make it accessible and convenient. That can hopefully alleviate some of the pressures on the health-care system.”
People can call the pharmacy or book appointments for minor ailment assessments or walk-in the store and book there. Assessments can also be done virtually or over the phone.
This is the first clinic in a Metro store in the GTA. There are two in Ottawa. For more information, see the website here.
Shoppers Drug Mart also has a pharmacy care clinic at Meadowvale Town Centre, 6677 Meadowvale Town Centre Circle, Mississauga.
As of Jan. 1, 2023, pharmacists can offer prescriptions for:
- hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
- oral thrush (candidal stomatitis)
- pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic and viral)
- dermatitis (atopic, eczema, allergic and contact)
- menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
- acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- hemorrhoids
- cold sores (herpes labialis)
- impetigo
- insect bites and hives
- tick bites (post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease)
- sprains and strains (musculoskeletal)
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)