In November 2024, the Quebec government granted new powers to several categories of professionals to improve access to health care, which is often referred to as health and social services in Quebec. Potentially starting as soon as this year, Quebecers will have more ways to get prescriptions for medication or a diagnosis for mental health conditions. Besides your doctor, do you know who else you can turn to for these services?
Receive or renew your prescriptions at the pharmacy
Your pharmacist will soon be able to offer you two new services prescribing new medication and renewing your long-term prescriptions.
This means your pharmacist could replace a medication you’ve been prescribed with an alternative. For example, if someone is experiencing side effects from a medication, they will be able to go to the pharmacy and request an alternative.
You will also be able to get a new prescription at the pharmacy to treat various conditions, such as:
- a stable chronic condition diagnosed by a doctor, like diabetes or hypertension,
- a common illness for which you don’t have a prescription, like a urinary tract infection, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, or tonsillitis.
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Important! Your pharmacist will have to wait a little longer before being able to use their new power to prescribe new medication and renew long-term prescriptions. L’Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec (Quebec’s professional order for pharmacists) must first adopt a regulation to provide a framework for these new powers. In the meantime, the law already allows pharmacists to renew prescriptions, but only for a maximum of one year. |
Getting a mental health diagnosis
You can now consult four new categories of health care professionals to get a mental health diagnosis. They could already assess mental health conditions, but their clinical findings were previously not considered “diagnoses”.
First, nurses and guidance counsellors can now diagnose mental health conditions. There is one exception: nurses can’t diagnose intellectual disabilities.
Additionally, two other categories of professionals can now make diagnoses within their area of expertise. Psychologists can diagnose neuropsychological disorders, like ADHD, dyslexia or autism spectrum disorder. Sexologists can diagnose sexual disorders.
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Important! Not all professionals in these categories will be able to diagnose mental health conditions. Nurses, guidance counsellors, psychologists and sexologists must complete both practical and theoretical training and hold a certification to exercise this new power. |