The Ontario government is expanding the MedsCheck program to increase the number of people who can access consultations with their local pharmacist to ensure they are using their medications safely and effectively.
The program allows eligible participants to receive a one-on-one consultation with a pharmacist to discuss the safe and appropriate use of any combination of prescription, over-the-counter and alternative medications they may be using. Three new services will now be available: MedsCheck for Diabetes (service for people with type 1 or 2 diabetes), MedsCheck Long-Term Care (for residents of long-term care homes) and MedsCheck at Home (for people who are home-bound and experience difficulty travelling to a community pharmacy, a community pharmacist will visit the person in their home to review their medications).
The MedsCheck program, established in 2007 by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, includes in-person consultations with pharmacists that do not require a referral from a doctor.
See the press release, “McGuinty Government Ensuring More One-on-One Pharmacist Consultations,” Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, November 8, 2010, available at news.ontario.ca.