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Moncton to MiramichiNew BrunswickThe IssuesHealth care
At participating drug stores, medicare will cover consultation charges but not prescription fees
Published Jul 23, 2025 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read
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Anne Marie Picone, executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, says the province’s decision to add three more common ailments to its list of publicly funded pharmacist services is a step in the right direction, but would like to see Strep Group A as well. SUBMITTEDArticle content
The province has added three new common ailments to the list of pharmacy services covered by medicare.
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In a press release Friday, the Department of Health said patients can now be assessed and get a prescription at participating pharmacies for seasonal allergies, thrush, and fungal infections of the skin – i.e. athlete’s foot, jock itch and ringworm – with no service fee.
Health Minister John Dornan said in the release it is another move the province is making to provide better access to primary care for New Brunswick patients and alleviating some of the stress on the health-care system.
“These types of health concerns are within the scope of practice of pharmacists in New Brunswick, and we continue to value the role pharmacists can play in helping New Brunswickers receive the right care at the right time from the right health professional,” he said.
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Anne Marie Picone, executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, said the news is an example of the government recognizing the role pharmacists can play.
“It is certainly a step in the right direction,” she said, noting many pharmacists were already providing services for those ailments, but patients had to pay out-of-pocket for their care.
She encourages patients to check with their pharmacy before going in to see if they meet the criteria for the service to be covered. For example, Picone said for seasonal allergies, patients are only covered for a consultation with a pharmacist once a year.
There are also age parameters for what is covered by the government. For seasonal allergies, ringworm and jock itch, the person must be older than 2 years, and older than 12 years for athlete’s foot.
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The province also advised people to check with their pharmacist in advance to find out which services are available because providing those services is not mandatory.
“While the cost of the consultation for certain ailments is covered, patients are still responsible for the cost of prescribed medications,” said the health department in the release.
When asked how much money patients can save by having those ailments publicly funded, Picone said it would depend on the ailment and the pharmacy. She noted a patient could save time that would have been spent sitting in an emergency department, waiting for an appointment with a primary care provider or walk-in clinic.
New Brunswick pharmacists have 36 services within their scope of practice. Of these, only 15 are covered by provincial medicare, said Picone. In addition to the three newest-approved ailments, pharmacists are funded to assess and treat mild acne, cold sores, conjunctivitis (i.e. pink eye), contact allergic dermatitis, contraception management, mild to moderate eczema, gastroesophageal reflux disease, impetigo, shingles, urinary tract infections and tick bites.
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Streptococcus Group A is at the top of the list of ailments the association would like the province to add in its coverage for pharmacies, she said.
Picone pointed the success of a pharmacy-funded pilot program, which began in September 2023 and finished in February, allowing pharmacists at six locations to assess and prescribe for Group A Strep, along with chronic disease management for diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and cardiovascular disease.
After 12 months, which was the original intended length of the pilot program, the Department of Health provided interim funding to allow continuation of the services while the evaluation was considered. In the end, the province eventually chose not to fund an expansion of the pilot.
Picone said the association had presented the province with another detailed proposal in April and hopes to meet soon with the minister to advocate why the program should be expanded. She would like to see the service in place before respiratory-illness season begins later this year.
“The last thing we want is to have a massive outbreak and have to start scrambling. If everything was in place for that, it would just make things so much easier right off the bat,” she said.
Brunswick News has asked the Department of Health for comment.
More to come…
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