Making health care more accessible

Allowing pharmacists to write prescriptions for common ailments a positive step, writes Parm Gill.

Over the past few years, our community has come together to support one another like never before.

It has shown us all how much we value our health-care system and how much we all support our front-line health-care workers.

That is why the Government of Ontario is building on successful innovations, by now allowing pharmacists to write prescriptions for some of the most common medical aliments.

Ontarians can visit their local pharmacies to receive prescriptions for common ailments such as pink eye, insect bites and hives to name a few. All you need is your health card. Allowing pharmacists to prescribe for these common aliments is making it more convenient for the residents of Milton and Ontario to receive the care they need.

Health care and supports for our community were constantly brought up during our most recent prebudget consultations in Halton. I was honoured to co-host these discussions, as we were joined by local organizations and community stakeholders to listen to their suggestions and priorities.

We heard from elected officials, businesses and people from right across Halton.

Although there were a number of items brought forward, one key priority we heard loud and clear was the need to support our small businesses in Milton and right across the province. This includes the need to make it easier to start and grow a business in our community.

As we have demonstrated over the past number of years, my office and I work closely with the Milton Chamber of Commerce in order to best support our local businesses. I was pleased to be able to meet with the newly appointed CEO and president, Bianca Caramento, to discuss opportunities and how we can remove red tape and barriers for businesses to thrive in our community.

As a former small business owner, I look forward to continuing to work alongside the Milton Chamber to help small businesses prosper, families to thrive, and our economy grow.