Healthcare services available from pharmacists

Nova Scotia Pharmacy Services

Healthcare services available from pharmacists

Nova Scotians with a valid health card can visit a pharmacist for certain medical services. There’s no cost for seeing a pharmacist for an assessment, though you may need to pay for prescriptions.

Contact the nearest pharmacy for more information.

Nova Scotians can see a pharmacist for the following pharmacy services in community pharmacies across the province:

  • prescription renewals for most medications
  • urinary tract infection (UTI) assessment and treatment
  • contraception management
  • herpes zoster (shingles) assessment and treatment
  • Lyme disease prevention and early Lyme treatment
  • publicly funded vaccines (flu shot, COVID, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), herpes zoster (shingles), pneumococcal vaccine, Meningococcal B)
  • assessment and prescribing for COVID-19 therapies (inhaled budesonide) 
  • common or minor ailments (conjunctivitis, eczema, skin infection, dermatitis, others)
  • medication assessment and injection (basic and complex)
  • nicotine reduction program 
  • medication deprescribing
  • strep throat assessment, testing and treatment (available at CPPCCs and at selected sites)
  • Community Provider-led Anticoagulation Management (CPAMS) at selected sites
  • Bloom Program – community based mental health and addictions care at selected sites
  • take home naloxone kit

The following pharmacy services are available to Pharmacare clients in one of the participating community pharmacies across the province:

  • medication review (basic and advanced)

There are additional pharmacy services available to residents in the 46 Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics (CPPCC) across Nova Scotia. The CPPCC sites offer the services noted above along with some more services exclusive to the CPPCC sites including:

  • chronic disease management (diabetes, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, obesity, non-cancer chronic pain)
  • complex medication review
  • complex vaccine assessment
  • ears and nose conditions and treatment (sinusitis, ear infections)
  • prescribing for a type II diabetes diagnosis
  • prescribing for a hypertension diagnosis
  • prescribing a new medication with a diagnosis previously established

Contact the nearest CPPCC for more information.

Eligibility

For all services, you must be a Nova Scotia resident with a valid Nova Scotia Health Card. If you don’t have a health card, you need to use private insurance or pay the pharmacy directly.

Eligible pharmacy services in all community pharmacies

Prescription renewals

Pharmacists can prescribe refills for most prescription medications when appropriate. They may not be able to prescribe refills for certain narcotics or controlled drugs.

There are no limits on the number of assessments you can receive in a year.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Pharmacists can assess and prescribe treatment for uncomplicated UTIs.

If there are other factors that are complicating your UTI, the pharmacist may tell you to see a doctor or nurse practitioner for assessment and treatment.

Contraception management

Pharmacists can be your primary provider of contraception, including ongoing management of your contraception needs.

Herpes zoster (shingles)

Pharmacists can assess and prescribe for herpes zoster (shingles).

Lyme disease prevention and early Lyme treatment

Pharmacists can assess and prescribe an antibiotic for the prevention of Lyme disease. Your pharmacist can discuss this option with you. The assessment will include whether the tick that bit you was a blacklegged tick, whether the tick was removed in the previous 72 hours and whether the tick was attached for at least 36 hours. You can also submit photos of ticks through eTick.ca for identification of the tick if you are unsure. Your pharmacist can also provide treatment for early Lyme disease.

Common or minor ailments

Common or minor ailments that pharmacists can assess and prescribe for:

Gastrointestinal/digestive tract:

  • diarrhea (non-infectious)
  • heartburn/reflux (GERD)
  • dyspepsia (indigestion)
  • hemorrhoids
  • nausea

Infections:

  • impetigo
  • eye infection/conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Head/nose/throat:

  • allergy symptoms including the eyes and nose (allergic rhinitis)
  • cold sores
  • headache (mild)
  • oral thrush (oral fungal infection)
  • oral ulcers

Reproductive health:

  • dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps)
  • emergency contraception
  • vaginal yeast infections (vaginal candidiasis)

Skin conditions:

  • acne (mild)
  • contact allergic dermatitis
  • eczema (mild to moderate)
  • fungal infections of the skin
  • impetigo
  • urticaria (hives)

Other:

  • dry eye
  • joint pain (minor)
  • muscle pain (minor)
  • sleep disorders (minor)
  • smoking cessation product
  • threadworms and pinworms

Medication assessment and injection (basic and complex) 

Administration of basic drugs and assessment for complex injections for opioid addition treatment, anti-psychotic treatment and other (ask your pharmacist).

Nicotine reduction program

For individuals who are attempting to quit or reduce their intake with prescribed nicotine medication, behavioural counselling and quit plans.

Medication deprescribing

Gradually reducing or stopping benzodiazepine medication with a personalized treatment plan.

Strep throat assessment, testing and treatment

Pharmacists can assess, test and prescribe for strep throat.

Publicly funded vaccines 

All individuals 6 months of age and over can have publicly funded influenza and COVID vaccine provided by a pharmacist.

In addition, the following vaccines are available in pharmacies:

  • Enhanced influenza vaccine – available for residents who are 65 years and older are eligible to receive High Dose influenza vaccine
  • Administration of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine – available for residents 75 years and older
  • Herpes zoster (shingles) – available for residents 65 years and older who have not received the vaccine as per the routine vaccination schedule
  • Pneumococcal – available for residents 65 years and older who have not received the vaccine as per the routine vaccination schedule
  • Meningococcal B vaccine – available for 25 years or younger in a congregate living setting (post-secondary students or military recruits) and other high-risk populations

Other vaccines may be available at CPPCC locations and funded for eligible patients:

  • human papilloma virus (HPV)
  • varicella (chickenpox vaccine)
  • Hep A & B (high risk patients)
  • tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Td or Tdap)
  • DTaP- IPV-Hib
  • haemophilus influenzae (Hib)
  • measles/mumps/rubella/varicella (MMR or MMRV)
  • IPV (polio)
  • mPox (formerly known a monkey pox)

Assessment and Prescribing for COVID-19 therapies (inhaled budesonide) 

Pharmacists can provide assessment and prescription for inhaled budesonide for patients with COVID-19 cough symptoms.

Community Provider-led Anticoagulation Management (CPAMS)

Pharmacists can take on a patient’s anticoagulation management related to warfarin treatment including testing, dosing adjustments, and communication with primary care providers. The patient must not have factors that based on the pharmacist’s professional judgement would deem them inappropriate for the service.

Bloom Program – community based mental health and addictions care

Anyone with a Nova Scotia Health Card who has both:

  • one or more eligible mental health or addiction diagnoses
  • a medication problem that they would like to work on with their pharmacist

The Bloom Program

List of participating pharmacies

Take home Naloxone kit

The Take Home Naloxone Program includes opioid overdose prevention education as well as training on the administration of naloxone.  A free take home naloxone kit is provided to Nova Scotians at risk of an opioid overdose and those who are most likely to witness and respond to an opioid overdose.

Basic Medication Review

Pharmacists can conduct a one-on-one visit with a patient (up to 30 minutes) to discuss and assess all of the patient's medicines with the goal of optimizing their use and improving health outcomes.

  • patient must be a beneficiary of a Nova Scotia Pharmacare Program
  • clinical criteria will apply for a basic medication review
  • limit of one initial assessment annually
  • copayment and deductibles may apply for Family Pharmacare clients

Advanced Medication Review

Pharmacists can conduct a one-on-one visit with a patient (up to 90 minutes) to discuss and assess all of the patient's medicines with the goal of optimizing their use and improving health outcomes.

  • patient must be a beneficiary of a Nova Scotia Seniors’ Pharmacare Program
  • additional clinical criteria will apply for advanced medication review
  • limit of one initial assessment annually and up to 2 follow-up visits per year
  • copayments are excluded

Cost

There is no cost to the patient for accessing pharmacy services, with the exception for a potential copayment or deductible for basic medication review.

For medications the pharmacist may prescribe, drug costs and dispensing fees for drugs the pharmacist gives you may be covered by your individual public or private drug plan, if you have one.

Contact

If you have questions about any of these services, talk to your pharmacist.