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Pharmacists in the province are supporting this year’s flu shot campaign.
As part of the province’s health care team, pharmacists are able to administer influenza vaccines to Saskatchewan residents and provide other health care services to patients waiting for their shot.
Myla Bulych, director of professional affairs for the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan, said pharmacists are joining other health care workers in the province in urging residents of the province to get their flu shots.
“This is such an important campaign for Saskatchewan residents, in terms of keeping people healthy, safe and at home, rather than in our hospitals,” Bulych said in a release.
Pharmacists are able to prescribe for ailments including skin infections, bladder infections, headaches, hemorrhoids and birth control. They can also assess patients’ medications and provide counselling for chronic disease management, in addition to providing vaccinations for travel, shingles, pneumonia and more.
Throughout COVID-19, pharmacists were approved to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots, helping increase access to vaccines.
Bulych said residents who visit a pharmacy to receive their flu shots can receive their COVID-19 vaccination at the same time if they are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
Pharmacists administered 233,641 flu shots in 2020, about 70 per cent of the doses administered to all residents in the province. This year, 380 pharmacies in 90 communities across the province are offering to administer flu shots to residents at or over the age of five.
“We’re really proud of our ability to ensure Saskatchewan residents can access the flu shot nearly whenever or wherever they need it. Many of our pharmacies are open long hours, and on weekends, reducing accessibility challenges for residents across the province. Our pharmacy members work hard to enable access for all. We urge all Saskatchewan residents to make the choice to stay healthy, by visiting their local pharmacy and accessing the shot,” Bulych said.
