Some Manitoba pharmacists can now write prescriptions.
Four extended practice pharmacists now exist in the province.
Provincial legislation introduced in December 2013 expanded pharmacists' role to include prescribing, interpreting patient self-administered tests, ordering lab tests and administration of drugs, including through injection.
All of them met requirements to get the designation by voluntarily getting training to become specialists in their field.
None of them are commercial pharmacists that deal with dispensing medication.
Pharmacists said this will eventually be possible under the 2013 legislation.
Right now, only pharmacists that work alongside physicians or nurse practitioners can get the designation.
Extended practice pharmacists will increase patient access to pharmaceutical experts, improve patient safety by providing more advanced therapy and offer more efficient prescribing process, said officials.
One of the four pharmacists with this designation is Dr. Jamie Falk. He practices at Kildonan Medical Centre. Dr. Falk has a doctorate of pharmacy.
