Saskatchewan patients will no longer need a doctor to prescribe birth control or UTI medication. The Saskatchewan Pharmacy Professions and College of Physicians and Surgeons, with help from the Ministry of Health, have kick started the initiative to give better access to medicine.

The change means training for pharmacists around the province but training at Moose Jaw pharmacies is already taking place. But Stefen Coleman, store operator at Pharmasave in downtown Moose Jaw, says customers won't be able to just walk in and decide which medication they would like.

"We're limited by a shorten formulary so for each ailment there's a list of medication that we can prescribe for it." explained Coleman.

The new rules could take some patients out of the doctor's office, alleviating some of the pressure that doctors are currently facing. Right now in Moose Jaw, there's a shortage of spots open for patients and while it's not a solution, it could help.

"Access would be one (factor for change). It's pretty easy to find a pharmacy and the other thing is that we're capable of prescribing for things like this and it just kinda made sense and the patients really like it."

Birth control and UTIs are just two more items on a growing list that pharmacists can prescribe medication for, including acne, cold sores, headaches, oral thrush, jock itch and athletes foot. All are ailments that would have required a visit to the doctor and the wait to see someone was likely longer than the examination itself.