The Ford government is expanding the number of services that health professionals can provide in order to help cut down on the number of visits to emergency rooms and doctors’ offices.Among the proposed changes, optometrists would be able to perform minor surgical procedures in the office without having to refer patients to a physician, giving psychologists the authority to prescribe certain medications, such as antidepressants, and granting regulated health professionals the ability to perform X-rays, MRIs and CT scans.“By working to expand scopes of practice for additional professions, we are building on our progress to make it faster and easier for families to access the care they need, when and where they need it,” said Minister of Health Sylvia Jones.As well, the government is working with the Ontario College of Pharmacists to expand the scope of their practice, which would see them assess and prescribe an additional 14 ailments, including shingles, minor sleep disorders, ringworm and fungal nail infections.While Ontarians can already get some routine vaccines administered at the drugstore, new rules would see them provide publicly funded vaccines such as RSV, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria and Sublocade, which is used to treat adults with moderate to severe addiction dependence to opioid drugs.Related:Pharmacists push for ability to administer more publicly funded vaccinesOntario considers further expanding pharmacists’ scope to include more minor ailmentsThe government previously granted pharmacists the ability to assess and treat 13 minor ailments, including pink eye, hemorrhoids, and urinary tract infections.Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said the minor ailments program has been going well so far, and further expanding pharmacists’ scope can help avoid visits to family doctors and emergency rooms.“The Ontario Pharmacists Association is excited to see the Ontario government’s continued efforts to expand pharmacy professionals’ scope of practice. Building on the success of the minor ailments program—which has already connected more than one million Ontarians to timely care,” he said in a statement. “Equally important, expanding access to publicly funded vaccines in community pharmacies will reduce barriers and increase vaccination uptake by allowing Ontarians to get the care they need closer to home.”The government did not specify how soon the new measures could be implemented.