Pharmacists say they fill the gaps in access to primary care

A steady stream of locals walk into Heather’s Pharmacy in Calgary on a mild December afternoon. Behind the counter, pharmacist Heba Elbayoumi wields her prescriptive powers: She assesses a man whose face has swollen after dental surgery, advises a couple on prescriptions before they head abroad and treats someone who has developed an infection on their face.Ms. Elbayoumi and other pharmacists have traditionally been limited to dispensing medicine prescribed by doctors. In recent years, many provinces have given them a larger role in diagnosing a range of conditions and writing prescriptions in a bid to fill the gaps in access to primary care in a country where six million people do not have a family doctor.