The component of the health care sector that provides medications and other supports has been playing a more active role in medical treatment for nearly three years – but they would like to do even more.

This is Pharmacy Appreciation Month, a time to highlight the growing role that pharmacists play in the health care system.

Dr. Ashley Waghmare, who is President of thePharmacists Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, says they are able to treat and prescribe for some minor ailments, but they would like an even greater role.

Dr. Waghmare says there are a total of 33 such situations that they can treat, however only eight are publicly funded.

So far, discussions with the new government have gone well.

“We have received nothing but positive things from government in terms of being agreeable to working with us on that,” says Dr. Waghmare.