US Pharm. 2009;34(6):8. 

Ontario, Canada -- A new bill being proposed in Ontario, Canada, will allow pharmacists to refill prescriptions without a physician's authorization. Under the Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009, pharmacists will not need a doctor's permission to renew prescriptions. By putting the bill into law, the government hopes to reduce wait times for both an appointment with a doctor and at the hospital. It will be particularly popular to the estimated 850,000 people in the province that do not have a family doctor. "By using the human resources we have, we can provide Ontarians with the health care they need safely, quickly, and in more places. Our health care professionals are talented and skilled. It's time to expand their duties to match their qualifications and training," said Premier Dalton McGuinty.