REGINA - The Government of Saskatchewan has announced the expansion of the scope of practice for pharmacists, nurse practitioners and advanced care paramedics in the province.
According to the province's news release Friday, this will allow these professions to “provide additional services, optimize their skills and improve patient care throughout the province.”
What it means for each of the professions, according to the province’s news release, is the following:
For pharmacists, they can independently prescribe, and also order lab tests and conduct point of care testing, such as drawing a small blood sample, to advise patients on medication to better manage diabetes or cholesterol.
For nurse practitioners, there are extended privileges for admission and discharge of patients in some hospital areas, and they can conduct initial examinations of new long-term care residents, be responsible for ongoing medical care and treatment for residents, emergency care and sign death certificates for residents in LTC.
For Advanced Care Paramedics, they can perform suturing for minor wounds, cuts or lacerations.
The changes had long been planned with consultations taking place with regulatory bodies, colleges, associations, unions and health system partners. The changes are to be implemented over the next year. The expansion is also part of the government's Health Human Resources Action Plan to “recruit, train, incentivize and retain” more health care workers, with the province pledging an investment of nearly $100 million for continued work on the HHR action plan in 2023-24.
"These changes will empower our highly qualified pharmacists, nurse practitioners and paramedics, giving them the opportunity to make greater use of their skills and expertise to further support patient care," Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a statement. "Expanding scope of practice in these three professions will serve to strengthen our health care teams, improve patient access to health services and help build additional capacity within our health care system."
"Enhancing scope of practice will enable Saskatchewan pharmacists in hospitals and communities to serve patients with pharmaceutical care and medication management in a safe and timely manner," Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP) Council President Amy Wiebe said in a news release. "These changes will help build primary care capacity, ease health care system pressures, and improve access to care for patients."
"The expansion of Nurse Practitioner scope of practice to include admission and discharge privileges brings Saskatchewan Nurse Practitioner scope of practice on par with other Canadian jurisdictions," Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners (SANP) President Cassandra Leggott said in a news release. "Nurse Practitioners in Saskatchewan will now be able to provide continuity of care to patients by being able to admit, conduct initial assessments and discharge patients. We are excited for the scope of practice expansion, and hopeful for continued optimization of the Nurse Practitioner role within multidisciplinary teams across the health care system in Saskatchewan."
"This optimization of scope of practice means that Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) can now provide even more effective care to patients in need, across a range of settings and scenarios," Saskatchewan College of Paramedics (SCOP) Executive Director/Registrar Jacquie Messer-Lepage said in a news release. "From rural and remote locations, clinics, and hospitals, ACPs are now able to offer support and immediate care in more situations. As ACPs continue to provide an essential touchpoint in delivering vital care around the clock, the optimization of their scope of practice is a crucial step in achieving better, more streamlined health care outcomes for all."
