Future of Pharmacy
DR. DANIELLE PAES
Dr. Danielle Paes Shares How She's Helping to Support and Advance Pharmacy
Can you tell us about your role as the CPO at the CPhA?
As the CPO and as a pharmacist, one of my goals is to help provide Canadians with a national perspective on matters related to pharmacy. This includes anything from offering health advice to sharing tips on how to navigate a drug shortage or get the most out of your pharmacy experience.
I’m also here to support and showcase the full potential of pharmacists and to advocate on their behalf on the national stage. I help connect pharmacists from coast to coast to coast so we can share experiences, learn from each other, and address emerging needs as we evolve as a profession. Part of that is acknowledging the toll these last few years have taken on us and helping to develop a collaborative plan to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our workforce.
In this role, it’s important to me that pharmacists are recognized and celebrated for their dedication to the health and well-being of the patients we serve.
How is the growing role of pharmacists evolving Canada’s health care system?
Our health care system is currently under significant strain and we’re all looking for solutions. This conversation is playing out right now with federal and provincial/territorial governments on health funding. Governments are looking to improve access to care and to take pressure off specific areas of our health system. As a result, pharmacy is becoming increasingly relevant to our vision for health care transformation in Canada. As more and more new authorities and funding for pharmacy services become available, pharmacists are growing in their roles — as immunizers, as prescribers, and as the first point of contact to the health care system for patients across the country. It’s an exciting time to be a pharmacist.
Pharmacists are playing a greater role in assessing minor illnesses and administering vaccines. Why should patients consider consulting their local pharmacist?
Pharmacists are highly educated and skilled health care professionals, so it’s natural and appropriate that we be allowed to use our knowledge to play a greater role in supporting care in our communities. As medication experts, we provide advice and recommendations to patients, physicians, and other members of the health care team every single day. In
times of crisis, we have the ability to problem-solve and to use creativity to find solutions under pressure. My message for patients is that there are now more reasons than ever to visit your pharmacy and to find a pharmacy team to support you on your health care journey. You should consider your pharmacist as your advocate and ally and should actively seek to have them as part of your care team.
As the national voice of Canadian pharmacists, what key areas are you focused on growing and improving?
A key focus for the CPhA is supporting and strengthening our workforce to ensure pharmacists can meet the growing needs of our patients in a healthy and sustainable way. Some elements of that include increasing mental health and wellness supports, advocating for more public funding for pharmacy services, and making efforts to support new pharmacy grads and internationally trained pharmacy professionals.
In addition to this, most recently we’ve been dedicated to helping patients navigate a series of drug shortages. Although this is an issue that pharmacists have been managing behind the scenes for years, the nature and extent of the recent supply issues with common pain relievers and antibiotics is a real wake-up call to everyone that this problem needs to be addressed. We’re working closely with the government and key stakeholders on longer-term solutions to prevent shortages from happening and to support our frontline to manage them when they do occur.
What do you want to see in the future of Canadian pharmacy?
There’s strong momentum for our profession right now — we’re in a period where the pharmacy practice is evolving and expanding as a key pillar for community access to public health care. I’m hopeful that we’ll soon see pharmacists in every corner of the country practising to their full scope so that everyone has access to the same level of care and service no matter what province they live in.
I also see a future where pharmacists are fully integrated into health care spaces — leveraging technology, operating outside the walls of traditional brick-and-mortar settings, and working collaboratively with other health care providers to improve the lives of patients in Canada. I’m looking forward to new and innovative models of care — like the pharmacist-led walk-in clinics that are seeing success in Alberta and Nova Scotia.
Mediaplanet sat down with Dr. Danielle Paes, the Chief Pharmacist Officer (CPO) at the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), where she’s helping to advance the pharmacy profession.
FWhy Investing More in Community Pharmacy Helps All Canadians
Community pharmacies provide easy access, superior patient care, and impressive innovation — so investing
orty-four per cent of Canadian adults have at least one chronic condition — such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, or mood/anxiety disorders. Canadians need quick, convenient health care access, and our system must focus more on prevention. Fortunately, community pharmacies are leading the way.
The power of proactive care
Pharmacies are accessible and convenient, and surveys show that pharmacists are highly trusted health care professionals. Because of their flexibility and close patient ties, they also possess an impressive ability to drive innovation, and their focus on prevention presents remarkable cost efficiencies.
“We’re seeing a major trend toward moving routine chronic disease screening and management into community pharmacies,” says Rodger Seccombe, CTO at Avricore Health and President and Co-founder of HealthTab, a company specializing in point-of-care testing solutions for pharmacy. Avricore is a pharmacy services innovator that provides turnkey digital solutions to support pharmacists’ evolving role along with infrastructure for making clinical services more accessible and more affordable in Canada’s diverse communities, and HealthTab is its flagship holding.
“HealthTab combines lab-accurate rapid testing with a secure, cloud-based system for viewing and tracking results,” says Seccombe. “It supports pharmacists in their role as front-line health providers and empowers patients with better access to information.”
Importantly, HealthTab also offers a new model for gathering real-world evidence and removes the silos normally surrounding health data. Reports can be customized to meet the goals of a particular program or trial, and HealthTab data easily integrates with third-party applications.
Now that’s something worth investing in.
Health Infoway’s
is Helping Pharmacy
Professionals
Today’s pharmacists juggle many tasks and demands on their time. In addition to dispensing medications, pharmacists are also involved in front-line health care — consulting with patients, prescribing for minor medical ailments, and adminis tering vaccines.
With an expanded role, the last thing pharmacist’s need is to spend extra time decoding a doctor’s handwriting, transcribing faxed prescriptions, or wondering about the validity of a possibly fraudulent prescription.
A digital solution with many benefits for pharmacists
This is where an innovative digital health solution like PrescribeIT® can help. PrescribeIT® is a national e-prescribing service that was developed by Canada Health Infoway, a non-profit organization funded by the federal government.
PrescribeIT® integrates seamlessly into electronic medical records (EMRs) and pharmacy management systems, enabling the direct digital transmission of prescriptions from an EMR to the patient’s pharmacy of choice. Using PrescribeIT®, prescribers (physicians and nurse practitioners) and pharmacists can electronically create, receive, renew, and cancel prescriptions. Transmission is secure and private.
Aside from enhancing patient safety and convenience and relieving the administrative load for prescribers, PrescribeIT® helps pharmacists do their job more effectively. PrescribeIT® enables phramacists to dispense prescriptions more efficiently, giving them more time for patient consultations. PrescribeIT® also results in fewer dispensing and transcription errors, improves communication with prescribers, and decreases administrative workload.
Above all, PrescribeIT® cuts down on the need for a return doctor’s office visit for prescription renewals, by enabling electronic requests for renewals which are associated with the original prescription. Finally, among physicians and pharmacy staff already using PrescribeIT®, 82 per cent say the service reduces lost or misplaced prescriptions, reducing the need for return trips.
COVID-19 put an immense amount of stress on Canada’s health care system. In the midst of the crisis, pharmacists were some of the frontline heroes who immediately stood up to help.
“Pharmacists embraced and adopted an expanded scope and extended services in their practice to keep their communities safe and healthy,” says Sherif Guorgui, co-CEO at OnPharm-United, a network of 600 independent pharmacy owners in Ontario. From COVID testing and vaccines to telehealth counselling services and medication reviews, pharmacists’ new responsibilities highlighted how critically important they are to our health care system.
It also gave pharmacists an opportunity to showcase why they’re always at the heart of their communities. Pharmacist-provided care is convenient, timely, and accessible. Nearly every Canadian has a pharmacy within walking distance, alleviating the burden of unneces sary visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms.
Seeking support
Getting pharmacists even more involved in patient care can improve health outcomes and relieve stress from our health care system by expanding its capacity.
“Pharmacies have become health care hubs and will continue to have a growing role in supporting public health,” says Guorgui. “Fur ther expansion of scope for pharmacy professionals, with equitable and fair reimbursement, will not only help close the gaps in the delivery of patient care but will also accrue savings for the entire health care system. That’s why it’s imperative that governments continue to keep pharmacy as part of the solution.”
OnPharm-United is committed to strengthening independent pharmacy owners to help their businesses and practices thrive through a continuously evolving pharmacy landscape.
Understanding the Important Role Pharmacists Play in Oncology Research
Oncology care requires a dedicated team of health care professionals collaborating to support both patients and caregivers through their cancer journey. This team includes oncology pharmacists, who provide patient education, chemotherapy clinical review (including identifying drug interactions, monitoring for side effects, and evaluating liver and kidney function during therapy), and product preparation.
“Pharmacists are important in oncology care because we’re very accessible and knowledgeable,” says Tiffany Nguyen, an oncology pharmacist and Chair of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (CAPhO) Research Committee. “We’re also very involved in oncology research.”
Advancing research
Oncology pharmacists play a vital role in research: measuring and standardizing oncology pharmacy care, ensuring that all Canadians receive the same high levels of pharmacy care, and collaborating to ensure optimal use of new medications.
CAPhO supports the many oncology pharmacists who participate in oncology research. As a member-directed association, CAPhO is dedicated to promoting, supporting, and advancing oncology pharmacy practice. Its members include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, assistants, and students.
“Our main goal on the Research Committee is to strengthen our research network and to help facilitate research activity for CAPhO members,” says Nguyen. “We’re currently working to deliver a new research education program, and we’re also working to develop a research mentorship network program.”
From supporting its members in undertaking research initiatives to awarding research grants for innovative projects to providing educational resources, CAPhO is making a difference in Canadian cancer care.
Tania Amardeil
Tania Amardeil
Tania Amardeil
This
was sponsored by OnPharm United
Sherif Guorgui Co-CEO, OnPharm-United
For Patients across Canada, Pharmacy Teams Are Leading the Way
Pharmacy professionals enhance access to public health and primary care, from minor ailments to virtual care and mental health.
Jennifer Deschenes
March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month, providing Canadians with a unique opportunity to recognize and celebrate their local pharmacy professionals.
The smiles, trust, and gratitude of patients and caregivers inspire pharmacy teams to press forward and fulfill the extraordinary potential of their profession.
For communities throughout Canada, pharmacies are often the first, most frequent touchpoint that patients have with the health care system, offering a safe space for compassionate care. Expanding the services that patients can access at pharmacies makes it even more convenient for people to connect with expert care quickly and close to home.
Governments are increasingly leveraging pharmacy professionals by expanding their scope of practice. As we continue emerging from the pandemic, there’s an urgency to shore up strained health systems and meet patient needs promptly. The pharmacy sector’s broad network and pharmaceutical supply chain are reliable partners for delivering a growing suite of in-demand services and virtual care options.
This expansion of services matches new government investments in pharmacy-based programs like P.E.I.’s shingles vaccination campaign and Nova Scotia’s Bloom mental health initiative. Programs like these leverage the versatility and responsiveness that have become hallmarks of a sector that steps up, time and again, to meet Canadians’ diverse needs.
Community health hubs
Come springtime this year, pharmacists in every province will have the authority to assess and prescribe for at least a dozen common conditions. This remarkable fact is a striking example of how pharmacy teams integrate into all aspects of patient wellness, positioning pharmacy as a cornerstone for the future of resilient health systems. By consulting a knowledgeable pharmacist, Ontario patients can now be assessed for 13 common medical ailments, including rashes,
pink eye, insect bites, and urinary tract infections — demonstrating the value of pharmacies as community health hubs.
Since Ontario’s milestone policy change in January, 60,000 patients have already taken advantage of the new assessment program. The service is especially beneficial for Ontario patients, who typically see their pharmacist up to 14 times annually. Nearly half of Ontario’s 4,700 pharmacies offer the new services, with more participation expected.
Expanding the services that patients can access at pharmacies makes it even more convenient for people to connect with expert care quickly and close to home.
With unparalleled convenience and accessibility, pharmacies' extensive footprint improves care for patients in rural and remote communities. Pharmacy teams collaborate with health care partners to deliver high-quality, wraparound care. Pharmacy resources create capacity by reducing wait times in primary care, walk-in clinics, and emergency departments, allowing physicians to focus on complex patients.
Indispensable to modern health care
With research and support from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy, a national pharmacy charity, organizations like the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) and the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) work to deepen the connection pharmacy professionals have with patients and the public.
“We work to emphasize and advance the interconnected care pharmacy teams facilitate each day — collaborating with providers, patients,
and caregivers to achieve the best possible outcomes,” notes Tim Brady, pharmacist and Chair of OPA’s Board of Directors.
“The pandemic helped to unlock pharmacy's true potential for embracing growth, and we’re still not even scratching the surface of all that pharmacies can contribute,” Brady adds. “What’s also exciting is how the public and profession are increasingly awakening to the adaptability of pharmacy technicians as essential to patient care and pharmacy operations.”
Access, equity, convenience
With pharmacies at the nexus of local health systems, OPA and Neighbourhood Pharmacies are calling upon the Ontario government to enhance Ontarians’ access to publicly funded routine immunizations by having these shots available at community pharmacies.
“Together with our public health and primary care partners, pharmacy professionals are ready to get everyone caught up on routine vaccinations by administering this service,” says Shelita Dattani, Vice President of Pharmacy Affairs at Neighbourhood Pharmacies. “It's concerning that one in four Canadians delayed or missed routine vaccinations because of the pandemic. Pharmacies have a proud history of supporting patients in their communities, and the pandemic accelerated the profession’s rapid evolution at the forefront of health care.”
Recognizing progress and potential Pharmacies contribute tremendously. They provide everything from public health and medical advice to patient navigation and specialty care while safeguarding their workforce to promote balance, well-being, and sustainability.
“We’re signalling to policymakers that integrating the pharmacy profession into their health care strategies improves outcomes and saves taxpayers’ money,” says Brady. “Policymakers understand that it’s in the public’s best interest to use the skills and abilities of health care practitioners to their fullest potential in serving patients.”
Tim Brady Pharmacist, Chair of the Board, Ontario Pharmacists Association
Shelita Dattani Vice President of Pharmacy Affairs, Neighbourhood Pharmacies
This article was sponsored by the Ontario Pharmacist Association, Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada and Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy
Pharmacists Are Helping Canadians Keep Stress Out of Travel Plans
Local pharmacies are an important addition to any pre-flight travel itinerary, preparing Canadians for the
As a sense of normalcy reemerges, travel is once again a hallmark of the annual calendar. For Canadians especially, a reprieve from winter weather is welcome, and hundreds of thousands will descend (literally) on warm destinations over the coming months. While travel remains one of life’s exciting luxuries, there’s more to consider than the number of shoes to pack before boarding that transcontinental flight.
For pharmacists, while travel symbolizes an exciting opportunity to get back to regular life, it also represents important conversations that need to be had around travel health and immunization. In the wake of the pandemic, Canadians are more aware than ever of the risks associated with travel, but while COVID-19 may top the list, common threats that existed pre-pandemic shouldn’t be pushed to the back burner.
Navigating a changing health care system
Like with many industries, a pharmacist’s role has changed over the last decade, exacerbated partly by the pandemic. Pharmacists have grown to become an integral part of many Canadians’ health care teams, building long-standing relationships with their patients, often due to accessibility and a less formal atmosphere.
“The pharmacy is a place where people feel safe when they’re at a vulnerable place in their life,” says Pavrithra Ravinatarajan, a pharmacist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo. “People have the chance to ask questions and be curious, which in turn can help reveal important elements that might not have been discussed during a general practitioner (GP) appointment.”
For many health-related issues, the most accessible first stop is your local pharmacy – travel health related matters are one such example. When it comes to upcoming holiday plans,
your local pharmacist can provide you with important information regarding health risks and preventative measures to take for your travel destination.
Canadians are more aware than ever of the risks associated with travel, but while COVID-19 may top the list, common threats that existed pre-pandemic shouldn’t be pushed to the back burner.
“Luckily, post-pandemic, people are recognizing how much of a resource their pharmacy can be,” says Ravinatarajan. “They’re a lot more conscious of travel safety, and there’s more general awareness on how vaccines can protect.”
Essential packing
Pharmacists can offer important education and support regarding how to prevent illness and what steps can be taken to avoid sickness before you even board the plane, helping to make sure holidays involve trips to the beach and not to the ER. “Simply speaking, seeking advice from someone who’s an expert in travel health is preventative health,” says Carlene Oleksyn, owner and pharmacist at Mint Health + Drugs outside Edmonton, Alta. “Travel health is like wearing a seatbelt. It may not seem necessary at the time but, when you need it, a seatbelt saves lives and avoids hardship.”
We may associate travel with sandy beaches, exotic foods, and good company, however international travellers run the risk of facing foreign illnesses they may be unprepared for. These can range from minor annoyances to more severe disease, some even coupled with long-lasting symptoms that extend far
beyond the flight home. Pharmacists can provide helpful insights guided by individual travel plans, customizing recommendations to fit both a chosen destination and any activities planned. From lounging by the sea to rafting down the Amazon River, no one’s travel activities — and therefore their travel health preparations — look the same. Vaccines, however, are more important than ever and can play a vital role in making sure travel remains the carefree mental break that so many of us are seeking.
Expertise within reach
Pharmacists across Canada can administer most travel vaccines or offer solutions for common travel health concerns.
For example, there’s an oral vaccination that might be recommended by your pharmacist that helps to prevent the dreaded diarrhea during travel. But as Oleksyn notes, “Travel health isn’t just vaccinations. It’s education on how to prevent disease, what to do if you get sick abroad, and how to access care.”
For those planning to venture beyond traditional resort travel, seeking travel health advice should certainly top the pre-packing list, and your local pharmacist should be the first stop on the itinerary. They know their stuff — across Canada, many pharmacists have chosen to pursue advanced education in travel health, accredited through the International Society of Travel Medicine. Pharmacists with this accreditation have training related to the most updated travel health recommendations, which is particularly important when facing more complex travel-related illnesses like malaria and yellow fever.
Adventures abroad offer an opportunity to see the world, experience new and exciting cultures, and break away from mundane everyday routines.
Arming yourself with the most up-todate advice and immunizations can help ease travel stress. It’s as simple as a quick stop to your local pharmacist.
IXIARO® is indicated for active immunization against Japanese Encephalitis for persons 2 months of age and older.
Allergic reaction may occur. Common side effects include headache, muscle pain, injection-site reactions and tiredness. As with any other vaccine, vaccination with IXIARO® may not result in protection in all cases. IXIARO® will not protect against encephalitis caused by other micro-organisms. Talk to your healthcare
Sonya Friesen
Carlene Oleksyn Pharmacist & Owner, Mint Health + Drugs
Pavrithra Ravinatarajan Pharmacist & Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo