Sask. pharmacists approved to test for strep throat, ear infections

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Saskatchewan residents can now get tested for strep throat and ear infections at 11 pharmacies in cities and towns across the province, the government announced Wednesday.

Pharmacists at these select locations have been approved to perform rapid on-site testing for both conditions, with results available in about 10 minutes. They can then prescribe and dispense medication to treat the conditions as needed, according to a government news release.

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A one-stop visit for testing and prescription medication is aimed to improve access to health care, said Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr in the release.

The 11 pharmacies are located in Biggar, Foam Lake, Humboldt, Kindersley, Meadow Lake, Melfort, Moose Jaw, Outlook, Stoughton, Swift Current and Yorkton. An additional 37 pharmacies “have been chosen” to provide ear infection assessments only at locations in Emerald Park, Estevan, Indian Head, Loon Lake, Meadow Lake, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon, Swift Current, Warman, Weyburn and Yorkton.

Newhope Pharmacy in Stoughton, a town about 150 kilometres southeast of Regina, is one of the locations that now offers testing for both infections.

“We are the only pharmacy in town and, for those who live close in the area, I think it’s a great opportunity for patients to be able to come in,” said pharmacist Tiara Davy, who graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s pharmacy program last June. “We’re accessible.”

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A community of about 650 people, Stoughton has just one doctor who sees patients once a week on Wednesdays, Davy explained, which is why she volunteered to participate in the training course as part of a pilot program.

More than 140 pharmacists are taking part in the pilot, which was first announced in September 2024. The number of pharmacists who volunteered for training went beyond capacity, says Michael Fougere, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan.

He said one criterion was to focus the strep throat training in rural areas.

“In rural Saskatchewan, where pharmacists generally are the only health-care provider in town, that’s why they were chosen,” Fougere said in an interview Wednesday.

The program’s launch is a “significant step forward in enhancing timely access to care for patients across Saskatchewan,” Scott Livingstone, president-elect for the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals, said in the release.

The government also noted that services may be expanded to additional pharmacies depending on the results of the program.

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Pharmacists’ scope of practice has expanded since 2012 to include the ability to extend prescriptions, diagnose minor ailments, offer vaccines, and other responsibilities that cover 31 conditions.

The most recent changes come amid a continued doctor shortage impacting urban and rural areas of the province. In October, both of Regina’s hospitals faced service disruptions due to a physician shortage and, in early January, it was revealed that the town of Kipling was losing two of its three doctors by the end of the month.

Asked what is being done to address the doctor shortage, the government has pointed to its Health Human Resources Action Plan, which was introduced in 2022 as a $60-million recruitment tool. A total of $134.8 million has been invested into the plan since its inception, including $29.4 million in the last provincial budget. Of that increase, $3.8 million was earmarked for new residency seats in family medicine as well as boosts to rural and remote recruitment incentives.

At budget time, Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP countered that the government’s spending priorities fail to provide any new ideas to truly reform a health system that is “on its knees.”

— with files from Alec Salloum

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