In a significant move by the Ministry of Health, the pharmacists of BC have been given power to renew a doctor’s prescription, alter the drug dosage and substitute the drugs with new ones. According to, B.C. Health Minister George Abbott, the legalities were formalized in the spring with the cooperation of the B.C. Pharmacy Association and the B.C. College of Pharmacists. He also denied earlier media reports saying that customers would be forced to pay for each renewal.

"I was surprised and disappointed this morning to hear the suggestion that somehow the public will be paying for this," he said. "There may well be a fee, but it will be paid by the pharmacare branch and not the public."We have never, at any point, envisioned a fee to the public for renewal of a prescription," he said.

However, the policy has met with opposition from the community of doctors. Dr. Shelley Ross, a family physician for the last 30 years, said though she regularly consults pharmacists about various drugs and appreciates their expertise, she doesn't agree with the new policy.

According to her, giving pharmacists the power to deal with chronically ill patients to an extent of substituting drugs and altering dosages, isn't right since the pharmacists do not have any knowledge about the patient's medical history and don’t do the clinical follow up.