02/21/2026
Miranda, our Co-Owner + Director of Pharmacy Services and Marcel van den Berg, chat with Justin about pharmacists’ expanded scope of practice in Nova Scotia!
Pharmacies in Antigonish now offer LOTS of new medical services - The ins and outs of what your pharmacist can (and cannot) do under the new Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics (CPPCC) scheme
https://letstalkantigonish.substack.com/p/pharmacies-in-antigonish-now-offer
If you haven’t been to a pharmacy lately for anything beyond picking up a prescription, you might be missing out. As of February 1, 2026, the Nova Scotia government has rolled out province-wide funding for a broad range of minor ailment treatments at pharmacies across the province — and it’s a bigger deal than most people realize.
On our latest episode, Justin sat down with Miranda Teasdale, owner and pharmacist at Teasdale Apothecary, and Marcel van den Berg, a relief pharmacist and newly appointed member of the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator, to break down what’s changed and what it means for people living here in town.
From Pilot to Province-Wide
The new funding didn’t come out of nowhere. For nearly three years, a select group of pharmacies (including Teasdale Apothecary here in Antigonish) participated in a provincial pilot program called the Community Pharmacy Primary Care Pilot (CPPCC), which allowed pharmacists to assess and treat a range of minor ailments and be reimbursed for those services. The results were compelling enough that the province has now extended the program to every pharmacy in Nova Scotia.
“It has shown based on the results of the pilot that we have kept a significant amount of people out of emergency rooms,” said Miranda Teasdale. Early data from the pilot suggested a reduction of more than 10% in emergency room visits — and van den Berg noted that figure came from only the first phase of the study, with roughly half of participating clinics reporting. The real impact, he suggested, is likely considerably higher.
What Can a Pharmacist Actually Treat?
The list of conditions pharmacists can now assess and prescribe for — fully covered by the province with a valid Nova Scotia health card — is longer than many people might expect. It includes a wide range of common ailments including allergies, pink eye, dry eyes, cold sores, canker sores, oral thrush, mild acne, mild to moderate eczema, skin rashes and dermatitis, impetigo, fungal skin infections, insect bites, hives, heartburn and reflux, nausea, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, threadworms and pinworms, urinary tract infections , yeast infections, shingles assessment and treatment, Lyme disease prevention and early treatment, COVID-19-related cough (for those 18+ with a positive test), emergency contraception, menstrual cramps, mild headaches, mild joint pain, muscle aches, and minor sleep disorders.
Some additional conditions — such as calluses and corns, dandruff, nail fungal infections, and warts — are within a pharmacist’s scope of practice but are not yet government-funded and may be offered for a fee. It’s worth calling your pharmacy to ask about those.
Going Beyond Minor Ailments
The scope of what pharmacists can do in Nova Scotia has grown considerably beyond treating a seasonal rash or a bout of heartburn. Pharmacists can now also renew existing prescriptions; not just as a temporary loan until you see your doctor, but as a full prescription renewal following a proper assessment.
“The way it works is we fully become the prescriber,” explained Teasdale. “So we would do an assessment... we’d check your blood pressure, we’d ask questions about side effects.” Depending on the situation, a pharmacist can renew a prescription for three months, six months, or even a year. And if you have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, your pharmacist will send them a record of everything done, keeping your care file complete.
At clinics like Teasdale Apothecary, pharmacists with additional training can go further still — ordering blood work, assessing and helping manage chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, and treating ear infections and strep throat. Van den Berg emphasized that these expanded services are available to any pharmacist in Nova Scotia who has completed the required competency training, though not all pharmacists will have completed every course. That’s why calling ahead matters.
No Conflict of Interest
One question that naturally comes up: if a pharmacist prescribes something, aren’t they drumming up business for their own store? The short answer is no. As Teasdale explained, when her clinic prescribes a medication, they ask the patient which pharmacy they want it sent to — and it can be any pharmacy in the province. “We do that all the time,” she said. The prescribing role is kept separate from the dispensary, functioning much the same way a family doctor’s office does.
Travel Clinic Now Open
For Antigonish residents planning international travel, Teasdale Apothecary has also launched a dedicated travel clinic. Miranda Teasdale recently completed a global travel health exam, becoming a certified travel health educator. The clinic offers comprehensive travel consultations covering vaccinations, malaria prevention, traveler’s diarrhea, food and waterborne illness risks, and country-specific healthcare information. It is also a certified yellow fever vaccine site. Notably, Teasdale’s is currently the only travel clinic in Antigonish, following the closure of a previous clinic more than a year ago. Appointments can be booked by calling the pharmacy or through their website.
Injections Now Covered Too
As part of the expanded funding, certain injections administered at pharmacies are now also covered. This includes vitamin B12 injections and the Depo-Provera contraceptive injections.
Filling the Pharmacist Gap
Van den Berg, speaking from his perspective on the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator, also highlighted efforts to address pharmacist shortages across the province. Nova Scotia is one of the few provinces in Canada that recognizes pharmacy licenses from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, allowing pharmacists from those countries to transfer their credentials relatively quickly. More than 100 pharmacists have now registered through that pathway.
A newer initiative involves a cohort of Jordanian pharmacists, many of them holders of a PharmD degree, who are coming to Nova Scotia through a partnership between the regulator and Dalhousie University. The first group of 17 has arrived and is completing an accelerated internship program before receiving their Nova Scotia licenses. “It not only helps to bring in more good qualified pharmacists, but also gives some people, some refugees, a better life here in Nova Scotia,” said Vandenberg.
How to Access These Services
The key takeaway from the conversation: call your pharmacy first. While pharmacies strive to offer same-day or next-day appointments for many conditions, they cannot always guarantee immediate walk-in service. If you’re unsure whether your pharmacy offers a specific service, or whether their pharmacists have the training for a particular condition, a quick phone call will save you a wasted trip.
Alternatively, you can call 811, where health navigators can help triage your situation and even assist with booking a pharmacy appointment.
More info on Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics (CPPCC): https://pans.ns.ca/cppcc/
and here: https://novascotia.ca/dhw/pharmacare/healthcare-services.asp
