[Stoat]

Giving credit where it's due: I found this article because it was linked at Orbusmax

Orbusmax ™ Northwest News - 'Around The World In 80K'

[Grendel9]

Pharmaceutical Insurance about to RISE!

[Wuli]

It used to be that way in the U.S.

Doctors are often even not as well informed as pharmacists, expecially in the increasing area of drugs that are adversely affected by other drugs.

[tkathy]

Then these idiots would start getting kickbacks from the drug pushers (I mean companies).

[Seruzawa]

critics are up in arms over changes they say will turn pharmacists into pill-pushing entrepreneurs intent on over-medicating the population.

Yeah! Only certified medical doctors are supposed to do that!

[spectre]

Ping..

sw

[Allan]

Good idea.
Better still would be to abolish the requirement for prescriptions for those under 21.

[IslandJeff]

"I can't imagine my pharmacist being my prescriber. I just can't imagine it. He doesn't have anywhere near the knowledge required to make a meaningful decision about medication for me," said Louise Binder, chair of the Best Medicines Coalition, a national advocacy group.

Weezie, I can't imagine a bought-and-paid-for lobbyist saying anything remotely objective. Nice usage of the First Person rhetorical, however.

[doc30]

Well, this is Canada. I wonder if this isn't an attempt by government to reduce pressure on the socialized health care system by having patients bypass physicians for commonly perscribed medications. It would save the government system some $$$.

[theBuckwheat]

>>
"I can't imagine my pharmacist being my prescriber. I just can't imagine it. He doesn't have anywhere near the knowledge required to make a meaningful decision about medication for me," said Louise Binder, chair of the Best Medicines Coalition, a national advocacy group
<<

Pharmacists in parts of Europe do this, without any significant problems. Does anyone have any (Real) data to the contrary?

These handwringers never seem to worry that pharmacists in Mexico will sell you just about anything.

ROFL! As if Doctors never mis-prescribe. The simple solution is to make sure the law allows the consumer to get his prescription from anyone qualified under the law.

[steamroller]

clinical pharmacists in the US can do this now-i go to the VA for my medical care and my clinical pharmacist,who has the title Dr. and a lot of training can prescribe or modify my physician's prescriptions-they know a lot more about the medications and their effects,interactions,etc.than MD's do-i have really great respect for them and my health has improved recently-of course they work in close coordination with my MD