Pharmacist Prescribing Cuts Lyme Disease ER Visits by Half

Researchers led by Emily Black, a professor at the Dalhousie College of Pharmacy, tracked emergency department consultations across three Nova Scotia hospitals before and after the policy change, ici.radio-canada.ca reported.

Nova Scotia Pharmacists Prescribe Doxycycline For Tick Bites

In August 2021, Nova Scotia became the first Canadian province to grant pharmacists the authority to prescribe doxycycline. The antibiotic acts as a preventative treatment to stop people from developing Lyme disease after a tick bite. The Dalhousie University study analyzed emergency room visits for tick bites starting one and a half years before the policy took effect and continued tracking visits for one and a half years afterward, according to ici.radio-canada.ca.

Data from the research showed that the rate of emergency department visits for tick bites stood at 0.70 percent during the period before pharmacists could provide the treatment. In the year and a half following the introduction of pharmacist-led prescriptions, that visit rate dropped to 0.35 percent. The findings provide real-world evidence that expanding pharmacist prescribing powers can improve patient access to care while easing the load on hospital emergency departments, as detailed in a Dal News article published September 14.

Pharmacy Consultations Shift Primary Healthcare Demands

Out of 1,019 patients who consulted a pharmacy for a tick bite during the study window, more than two-thirds received a prescription for doxycycline, since preventative treatment is not required in every single case. Nicolas DesAulniers, a pharmacist and owner of Mosaic Pharmacy and Clinic in Halifax, noted a growing number of patients seeking out pharmacists for primary health questions.

It’s becoming more normal to go to your pharmacist for basic healthcare like that, things that used to be considered emergencies, requiring limited resources and costing the medical system.

Nicolas DesAulniers

DesAulniers, who has practiced pharmacy for over two decades, pointed out that the shift reflects a broader evolution in the profession toward recognizing illnesses and providing general care rather than dispensing medication alone. He considers the Dalhousie University findings encouraging for healthcare accessibility and wait-time reduction.

Emergency Room Wait Times Remain High for Tick Bites

Despite the successful reduction in emergency room volume, the study authors highlighted that more than half of all individuals who still visit hospital emergency departments for tick bites wait longer than two hours. Researchers undertook the study to measure how pharmacist expansion impacts overall healthcare system strain.