(continued)

Ask the Pharmacist
By Ron and Marla Chapleau

Health & Fitness

To Comment on this article Click Here

Q: I heard that there are new rules governing my
prescriptions. How will that affect me?

A: The Government of Ontario has put together a Narcotic
Monitoring System that came into effect Nov. 1,
2011. 

The medications that fall into these “monitored” drugs are all narcotics (Tylenol #3, Oxycocet, OxyContin, etc.), controlled drugs (Ritalin, Concerta, Phenobarb, etc.), targeted substances (Ativan-lorazepam, diazepam, etc.) and tramadol-containing medicines (Tramacet,Ralivia, etc). 

The reasons behind these new regulations are alarming. Since 2000, there has been a five-fold increase in oxycodone-related deaths and a 41-per-cent increase in overall narcotic-related deaths in Ontario. The current
system obviously isn't working anymore. 

More people are obtaining large quantities of narcotics which may lead to abuse, misuse or diversion on the street for selling and therefore the government has implemented this act to get some control. 

To obtain a prescription for one of these monitored drugs, the patient must now provide an approved form of identification such as an Ontario health card or a driver’s licence (among many) to both the doctor and the pharmacy. The doctor must write this identification on the prescription as well as his licence number. 

If either of these are missing from the prescription, then the pharmacy will not be able to fill the prescription. The prescribing doctor would have to be contacted and the prescription rewritten with all of the required information.

 
When the prescription is picked up at the pharmacy, identification will need to be shown as well and documented. If someone else will be picking up your prescription, the pharmacy must be informed indicating who will be picking up the prescription. 

Keep in mind that the person picking up your prescription will also have to provide identification which will be recorded at the pharmacy. This identification will be kept secure and confidential.

For more information about this or any other health-related questions, contact the pharmacists at Gordon Pharmasave, Your Health and Wellness Destination

Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area.  You can click on the ads for more

 


 

 
for world news, books, sports, movies ...

Sunday, November 06, 2011