Cardiovascular coaching refocus • Excellent pharmacists recognized • Annual Conference in photos
tablet
published by the British Columbia Pharmacy Association | bcpharmacy.ca | Volume 25. No. 4
JUL/AUG 2016
Adapting to the times: Modernized RDP reminds pharmacists of their expanded scope in caring for patients
A voice for community pharmacy
40810576
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Integrating Patient Safety Into Your Pharmacy's DNA
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THE TABLET
JUL/AUG 2016 | VOLUME 25. NO. 4
contents Editor in Chief Angie Gaddy 604.269.2863, angie.gaddy@bcpharmacy.ca Senior Editor Matilda Meyers 604.269.2866, matilda.meyers@bcpharmacy.ca The Tablet is published by the BCPhA. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Association. Contributed material is not guaranteed space and may be edited for brevity, clarity and content.
14 C ardiovascular health coaching program
BCPhA offices: #1530-1200 West 73rd Avenue Vancouver, BC V6P 6G5 telephone: 604.261.2092 or toll-free in BC: 1.800.663.2840 fax: 604.261.2097 toll-free fax: 1.877.672.2211 e-mail: info@bcpharmacy.ca web: bcpharmacy.ca Publication agreement #40810576
On the cover: Delta pharmacist Michael Millman (pictured here with patient Norma Walker) believes the key to successfully adapting prescriptions is developing deeper relationships with patients and explaining their options.
21 Modernized RDP
24 E xcellence in BC Pharmacy Awards
Features
Columns
Regulars
10 The next generation of pharmacy
6 President’s Message
5 Meet Dr. Heidi Oetter
Students volunteer, network and get inspired at the Annual Conference
12 Medications Return Program Fish can’t say no to drugs so #ReturnYourMeds
14 Next phase of cardiovascular health coaching program Focus turns to targeting eligible patients
18 BCPhA Annual Conference Highlights from the event
22 On the Cover:
Adapting to the times Modernized RDP reminds pharmacists of their expanded scope in caring for patients
Managing enhanced scope of pharmacy practice key to future success
7 CEO’s Message
Registrar, College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia
38 Career Listings Find a job in pharmacy
Opportunity is knocking for role of community pharmacists
8 Advocacy Summertime… and the living is easy?
9 Pharmacy Practice Support More questions raised as medical marijuana dispensing appears possible
11 Canadian Pharmacists Association Extending pharmacare services to all Canadians
25 BC Excellence in Pharmacy Awards A voice for community pharmacy
Pharmacists recognized for passion and dedication
Got a suggestion for an article in The Tablet? Email info@bcpharmacy.ca with your story ideas.
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SMALL TALK
In the news
Pharmacogenomics project expands, thanks to Green Shield Canada funding
looking for community pharmacies to participate in the project.
The BCPhA will expand its pharmacogenomics project to cities across Canada this fall, thanks to significant funding from Green Shield Canada (GSC). The “Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy” project examines the potential for community pharmacies to provide DNA-specific medication advice in order to optimize drug therapy outcomes for patients. GSC is the first funding partner to come on board for the second phase, which is estimated to take 18 months and involve 1,000 patients in several Canadian cities. It will assess participants’ exomes to provide patient-specific information on the appropriateness of their prescribed medications. Phase 2 is also open to the 33 community pharmacies that participated in Phase 1 of the project. The focus of phase two will be on particular drug categories for mental health, cardiovascular, pain and possibly respiratory (COPD and asthma). BCPhA is still looking for additional financial contributors for the project. This phase will also help determine whether the project is economically viable and if the public would be willing to pay for DNA testing. Among the 1,000 patients to be recruited to provide samples, there will be a mix of sponsored patients who will have the cost covered and nonsponsored patients who will pay about $2,000 for the testing and analysis. Pharmacists will also be compensated for delivering the service. BCPhA is now
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BCPhA has developed a registration form on bcpharmacy.ca/genome for patients, health-care professionals and other investors to express interest in participating in the project.
Alex Dar Santos and John Tse appointed to the Board The BCPhA Board of Directors have appointed current members Alex Dar Santos and John Tse for another term at its Board meeting on May 26, prior to the start of the Annual Conference in Kelowna. They will both serve three-year terms beginning September 1, 2016. This was carried out in accordance with BCPhA Bylaw 4.7. The BCPhA is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors who set and review the strategic goals of the Association. Of this Board, seven directors are elected and up to five directors are appointed. Each of the directors must be a general member in good standing. Appointed directors must have personal experience, strategic liaisons or other important qualities, which are valuable to the Association and complement the Board’s experience. Alex Dar Santos is the associate-owner of Shoppers Drug Mart #2237 in Richmond and was first elected to the Board in September 2013. He has
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more than 13 years of experience as a pharmacist and in pharmacy management, as well as 18 years of retail pharmacy experience. John Tse was appointed to the BCPhA Board of Directors in September 2013, returning after having previously served on the Board from 2006 to 2012. He is vice-president, pharmacy and cosmetics, of London Drugs. After beginning his career as a pharmacy technician more than 29 years ago, Tse has practiced as a staff pharmacist in a retail setting, in a chain pharmacy, in an independent community drugstore, and in institutional settings serving long-term care homes. He has also served as a pharmacy manager, pharmacy operations manager and pharmacy buyer.
MEET DR. HEIDI OETTER
Meet...Dr. Heidi Oetter Registrar, College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia In health care we often hear about the importance of inter-professional collaboration. What are the best examples of collaboration between pharmacists and physicians that you’ve seen? The hospital is the best setting for interprofessional collaboration that I’ve seen. In my experience, having pharmacists right there gave physicians an opportunity to review a patient’s medication list directly so we were able to optimize the medications in real time. I’ve also seen it work in a long-term care facility where the pharmacist readily made himself available and we could review a patient’s medication together. Having everyone in the room together is ideal for collaboration. I think the challenge is going to be how we do that virtually. We see it a lot more now that people are using secure email messaging to care for patients. I think that’s something we need to build on.
As registrar, Dr. Heidi Oetter plays an integral role in providing high quality health-care services across BC. Following an 18-year career as a family physician, Oetter joined the College as deputy registrar in 2004, managing a wide selection of portfolios including ethics, quality assurance, prescription review and methadone programs, before taking on the role of registrar in 2008. Today, she is accountable for ensuring compliance with statutory obligations, implementing and monitoring the policies and direction set forth by the Board, and managing the daily operations and administration of the College. The Tablet asked Oetter about her views on collaborative medicine, health-care accessibility and the need for increased virtual communication between doctors and pharmacists.
If you could fix one thing in the healthcare system what would it be? It would be improving primary care. We need to have teams of care providers in centres, which would include pharmacists, nurses, OT and PT delivering care to patients. We need to figure out how to provide comprehensive, coordinated and continuous primary care services, and how that intersects with acute care. A well-structured primary care system is the backbone of every high-performing health-care system. You’ve had a number of different positions in your career – GP, president of the BC Medical Association (now Doctors of BC), registrar of the College – what has been the most satisfying? The job I have now! Instead of one patient at a time, I have a more holistic view as registrar – of patient safety and public
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protection – and I have an opportunity to make an impact on a lot of people’s lives. I also really enjoyed being a family physician in organized medicine, but I see that now as a good training ground for me to work towards something bigger. And in this case, it’s ensuring we have a wellregulated medical profession. Pharmacists in BC have had continuing improvement with doctors on addressing prescription issues (compliance, communications between professions, etc.) since your taking the helm as registrar in 2008. What are other ways that pharmacists can continue to improve on this? Secure email messaging. Creating more effective communication links between the prescribing physicians and the pharmacists without making it an intrusive part of their day. We need to create virtual teams. We know that overprescribing of opioids is a public health problem. What can pharmacists do to support patients and physicians? Deliver consistent messages to patients. Pharmacists should be aware of good prescribing principles and figure out how they incorporate the same messages in their practice to assist patients. Good prescribing principles, such as those recently released by the US Centers for Disease Control in "Guiding Principles for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain", include normalizing things like urine drug tests, having discussions about dosage and addressing the potential harms related to opioid use. (See the College's April 5, 2016 news release). In June our Board approved a new professional standard titled Safe Prescribing of Drugs with Potential for Misuse/Diversion, which incorporates many of these principles.
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ALLISON NOURSE | PRESIDENT
Managing enhanced scope of pharmacy practice is key to future success As I reflect over this past year I think about all the work that has been accomplished at the Association. It has been a busy year: Phase 1 of the Pharmacogenomics project, “Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy,” was completed, with planning for the next phase well on its way. Medical Assistance in Dying guidelines were created, medical marijuana discussions became top of mind, modernization of the Reference Drug Program occurred, naloxone became classified as a Schedule II drug and amendments to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act (PODSA) via Bill 6 were discussed and passed by government, with changes suggested by the Association. In addition, security bylaws relating to the revised PPP-74 are currently under review, the Methadone Maintenance Payment Program is under review and the BCPhA implemented an online travel health training program. These are just a few of the initiatives that occurred over the past 12 months.
While the Association and our profession have our own perceptions of what is needed to improve the health-care system, we have to work with government and other health-care professionals to ensure the most viable solution is put forward. Sometimes this means looking outside our province and country to see what others have done in similar situations. The Association’s partnership with the Canadian Pharmacy Association (CPhA) helps strengthen our profession by allowing knowledge sharing of best practices on key policies.
“...it's important to stay focused and not lose track of the main goal: enhancing the profession of pharmacy. "
The scope of the pharmacy profession keeps growing and a never-ending pile of initiatives is placed before the staff at the Association. With a mission to support and advance the professional role and economic viability of members to provide enhanced patientcentered care, the Association works hard to support and drive practice change. Support is a key function. Not all changes that occur are asked for; sometimes we have to adapt and compromise to changes requested by others. The Association is available to ensure implementation of external demands can be done as smoothly and efficiently as possible for pharmacists. This often includes involving the right skill set at each step of the way through working groups made up of members from the Association, as well as staff and Board members. I would like to thank all those who participated in working groups this term – your support and knowledge have been instrumental in implementing many key initiatives.
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It’s well known that our country’s structure allows for each province and territory to act independently in its own best interest. What works well in one province may not work well in others. Different government strategies may affect pharmacists in different ways, but we still need to look at what other regions are doing and hopefully work towards common ground for a more unified profession. The connection that CPhA has with each region is the unifying puzzle piece that connects us all together. There are always going to be differences of opinions, but decisions will ultimately be made on what works best for the majority of the profession and health-care system. With so many important changes happening at once it's important to stay focused and not lose track of the main goal: enhancing the profession of pharmacy. It has been a pleasure chairing the BCPhA Board this year, and as I move into the role of Past President I look forward to another year of supporting our profession.
GERALDINE VANCE | CEO
Opportunity is knocking for role of community pharmacists Our recent Annual Conference in Kelowna focused on the topic of “The DNA of Pharmacy.” We were fortunate to have Kevin Davies, author of The $1,000 Genome, deliver the keynote address. Kevin helped put our work on pharmacogenomics into context, and I was greatly encouraged to hear that he views our project as groundbreaking. Without a doubt there is a buzz about all things genomic right now. Open any newspaper or turn on the TV and you will likely find a story about how genomics is being used in some new way in health care. Everything from the do-it-yourself DNA testing kit from 23andMe to targeted cancer treatments based on an individual’s DNA is influencing the next big change in how personal medical care will be delivered. I believe we are about to see a process of sifting out what technology and tests will succeed in the marketplace and which ones won’t. This is especially true in the emerging area of pharmacogenomics. The process of disease identification using DNA has been underway for quite some time and protocols are fairly well established. If you want to find out if you are genetically predisposed to a certain disease, getting that information from a range of private providers is now pretty straightforward. What to do with that information is less obvious. But in the field of pharmacogenomics, some fundamental questions remain to be answered: Do you sequence the whole exome or go the cheaper route and test single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to determine efficacy for individual drugs? Where should the test sample be collected? Who should have this information? How can it be used and should it be used? The field of players in pharmacogenomics is also getting more crowded and the path forward is not always clear.
We have made some decisions about these choices and, so far, are getting some pretty positive feedback about those choices. The BC Pharmacy Association believes that community pharmacists and pharmacies are best suited to be the conduit to deliver pharmacogenomics testing to patients on those medications most often prescribed. There are more than 9,000 community pharmacies across the country in communities large and small. No one else can come close to providing similar access points for pharmacogenomics testing – full stop. And no other health practitioner is better equipped to interpret the results of this testing – not lab assistants and not prescribers. Pharmacists are the medication experts. Every day they use multiple tools to assess drug interactions and help their patients maximize the effectiveness of the medications they take. Pharmacogenomics is another tool in their kit that will help pharmacists become even more important partners with their patients. And as for the question around whole exome versus SNP, we believe the best decision in the long term is sequencing the whole exome to allow for multiple inquiries over a patient’s lifetime. Our best assessment is that while some may fight to drive the cost to the lowest possible point for single drug testing through SNPs, ultimately this will not deliver the best value to patients or the health-care system. Is this a proposition we need to continue to track and reassess? Absolutely. But do I think we are on the right track? Again, absolutely. After Dr. Corey Nislow presented plans for our next phase of the pharmacogenomics project at our Annual Conference, two organizations who attended the session approached us to ask how they could get involved and support the work we are doing. The opportunity is knocking. Our job is to open the door wide to the future of community pharmacy.
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CHERIE PAYNE | ADVOCACY
Summertime… and the living is easy? Burgers on the grill and popsicles on the back porch. Scrambling to find childcare, catching up on reading lists and last-minute tutoring boosts. The kids are out of school and parents are shifting into summer gear. No better time to consider the range of health and medication issues BC is grappling with when it comes to children and youth. Five new primary care centres for youth On June 17, the province announced $7.5 million to support youth at risk of substance use and mental health concerns, with the launch of a new Integrated Youth Services Initiative in five communities around BC. Kelowna, Campbell River, North Vancouver and West Vancouver, Prince George and Abbotsford will each have youth service centres hosted by non-profit organizations. They are designed to boost access to primary care, mental health, substance use and social services for young people aged 12-24. The first centre will open this fall, and all five communities should be fully operational by March 2017. So, how can community pharmacists help prevention efforts and earlier therapeutic interventions for young patients who are beginning to show signs of mental health and substance use issues? PharmaNet is one clear way to maintain awareness of emerging issues with patients in pharmacists’ care. Whether the patient is in the doctor’s office, the hospital or the community pharmacy, having access to the most complete and accurate information available will help the care team make the best decisions possible. Knowing how often prescriptions are filled, what combinations of medicines a young person may be taking and how many different physicians they are interacting with will help provide indicators of potential issues of concern. Special medication issues for children and youth Also in June, the U.S.-based health journal Health Affairs published a new study finding that children in foster care face particular challenges around prescriptions for antipsychotic medications.
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Children in foster care were more likely to be prescribed antipsychotics than non-foster care children. At the same time, only 28 per cent of foster children and 18 per cent of other children received consistent monitoring for side effects of the medication. Metabolic monitoring for blood glucose and serum cholesterol were frequently not followed for children in care. Medication reviews and assessment of risks of interactions are second nature to pharmacists. As awareness of the issue grows, pharmacists’ expertise will serve these children well. New ADHD medications approved in US This summer also saw the US Food and Drug Administration approve a new orange-flavoured, dissolvable ADHD medicine for kids. Adzenys is chemically similar to Adderall and will be available by prescription for children over the age of six. Parents have questions about the benefits and risks of a new “candy-like” stimulant drug for children with ADHD. Will it help children who have difficulty swallowing medication? Or might it lead to medication abuse? Are children with ADHD over-medicated? Should parents be concerned about reports of stimulant abuse among high school and college students? These issues and more are likely to become topics of conversation as pharmacists take on greater clinical counselling roles. Helping parents understand their children’s medication From cough medicine to asthma medications, many parents need help monitoring their children’s prescription and OTC drugs. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports as many as 29 per cent of young patients were mismatched in terms of how parents help their children take their asthma medications compared to the instructions provided by their prescriber. Community pharmacists are often at the front lines of helping parents refresh their memories of how best to use medications prescribed. As the summer months go by, children and youth may not be the only British Columbians who will need a tutoring boost. References available upon request at info@bcpharmacy.ca.
DEREK DESROSIERS | DIRECTOR, PHARMACY PRACTICE SUPPORT
More questions raised as medical marijuana dispensing appears possible In recent months, there has been no shortage of national discussion surrounding the topic of marijuana, and in particular, the federal government’s vow to legalize the drug by 2017. In addition to extensive media coverage, a number of pharmacy organizations have publicly weighed in on the subject, including the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and retail chains Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs. As impending decisions regarding the dispensing of medical marijuana draw near, many pharmacists are voicing concerns over the role they could play in handling the controversial drug in the very near future. This reality could take effect as early as this summer, following a Federal Court ruling in a case known as the Allard decision. The federal government has been given until August 24, 2016 to revise or replace the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) to grant Canadians the constitutional right to grow their own marijuana for medical purposes. A revised MMPR or a completely new set of regulations may also include changes to the current distribution network and there is a possibility this new network could include pharmacies.
based medications approved by Health Canada. Sativex is a spray containing nabiximols, which are natural extracts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). It is indicated for adjunctive treatment for symptomatic relief of spasticity in adult patients with multiple sclerosis who have not responded adequately to other therapy and who demonstrate meaningful improvement during an initial trial of therapy. The other commercially available, Health Canada-approved product is Cesamet. It is a synthetic delta 9 THC analogue called nabilone. This product is indicated for severe nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. Another concern facing pharmacists is the differentiation of marijuana for medical use versus marijuana for recreational use. Anecdotally, it appears that pharmacists are not at all interested in selling recreational marijuana but are interested in dispensing medical marijuana provided the appropriate education, training and support tools and mechanisms are in place. Pharmacists do not want to be put in a position to have to be making the differentiation on a case-by-case basis at the pharmacy counter.
As public demand for medical marijuana grows, some pharmacists The potential security issues related to having cannabis products are questioning whether the industry is ready to take on the role in the pharmacy are also of great concern to many pharmacists. of dispensing pot to patients. One concern is the lack of good, The bottom line is that if pharmacists are to become the clinical evidence for the use of medical marijuana. There are no sole distributor of medical marijuana, or at least part of the landmark clinical trials for medical marijuana. All of the trials that distribution system, under a new set of regulations to replace the have been conducted have been with the smoked or vaporized MMPR they will need education and support. progroup_ad_v3.ai 13/11/2008 4:23:24 PM form (nothing of significance with oils or tinctures or other oral References available upon request at info@bcpharmacy.ca. forms such as edibles). C
Overall, pharmacists want and need a lot of education about the pharmacology, dosage forms, potential therapeutic indications, contraindications and adverse effects of cannabis. Currently that type of education for pharmacists is not widely available. M
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THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHARMACY
Students volunteer, network and get inspired at the Annual Conference “Refreshing, inspiring and fun” were the words BCPhA ambassador Jenny Jiang used to describe her first experience of the BCPhA Annual Conference, held in Kelowna from May 26 to 28. As a student who has just completed her first year of the new UBC Entry-to-Practice (E2P) Doctor of Pharmacy program, Jiang says the opportunity to mingle with industry professionals and absorb their knowledge and varied viewpoints was unique. “It wasn’t just the speakers and presenters – I also talked with pharmacy owners, advocates, BCPhA staff, upper-year students, as well as pharmacists that work as clinicians and teachers,” Jiang explains. “It helped me see what the community of pharmacy is really like. It opened my eyes in terms of what pharmacists in the field think about the profession and where it’s
going.” She also gained an appreciation for different pharmacy models: “I came out of every conversation with a new perspective.” Jiang was one of 11 BCPhA ambassadors who volunteered to help event organizers at the conference. They helped with the event set up, at the registration desk, organizing the trade show, running microphones during the sessions and cleaning up at the end. A total of 32 students attended the conference, including 18 who participated in “The Future of Pharmacy: Student Presentations.” The event reminded Jiang why she joined the BCPhA ambassador program – to advocate for and advance the pharmacy profession. “I look forward to promoting events such as the Speaker Series and inspiring other students to network and share ideas,” she says. “A lot of students are ambitious and want to push the profession forward but don’t know how to do it.” Of the sessions that she was able to catch when not volunteering, her favourite was “The Future of our Workforce” by Eric Termuende, the director and co-founder of Gen Y Inc. For Jiang, it further solidified her feelings of optimism about the future. “It was nice to see that we as students will have a lot of value in the workforce,” she notes. “There are sometimes preconceived notions of what our generation is like.” For example, while Gen Y is often criticized for overusing their cellphones, Jiang believes the flipside of this is that they have access to a lot of information at their fingertips.
BCPhA ambassador, Jenny Jiang (left) and alumni ambassador Dawei Ji (centre) assist Moh Jaswal, senior director, pharmacy operations west with Loblaws as he registers at the start of the BCPhA Annual Conference in Kelowna on May 26. Jiang and Ji were two of 11 ambassadors who volunteered their time to help organizers run the event.
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This theme was further reflected in the student presentations, where students shared their ideas on the conference theme "The DNA of Pharmacy." Jiang noted that many of the
CPHA student presentations were on the subject of technological advancements, which helped illustrate to pharmacy owners the value new graduates will bring. She also appreciated the presentations by the Ministry of Health and College of Pharmacists of BC. “There are definitely a lot of issues in the pharmacy industry right now, and they gave us great hard evidence and statistics about where we are as a profession.” And when it comes to the work of the BCPhA overall, she believes the Association is heading in the right direction when it comes to what future
Extending pharmacare services to all Canadians By Mark Dickson, B.Sc. (Pharm.), MBA It’s been a year since the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) launched the policy development process it is calling Pharmacare 2.0. The multi-phased approach is designed to build a Canadian consensus and reboot the pharmacare conversation. As the only developed country in the world with universal health-care coverage yet no national coverage for prescription drugs, the CPhA believes pharmacy needs to be actively engaged in the conversation around bringing this national service to all Canadian patients.
BCPhA ambassador Jenny Jiang gained an appreciation for different pharmacy models at the Annual Conference.
pharmacists want. “The Association has a presence in pushing for an improved quality of life at the workplace and for expanded scope of practice,” Jiang says. “I think this is ambitiously desired by students and pharmacists and it’s good to see a group that sticks up for us as a profession.” Jiang thinks the BCPhA plays a vital role in building relationships with stakeholders to help resolve issues and advocate for the best interests of pharmacists. She is hopeful that the organization will continue to foster a positive relationship between pharmacists and physicians and help promote the role of pharmacists as an important component of the health-care team.
In BC, there are a couple of basics that we take for granted when it comes to prescription drug coverage, much of which is not available to other Canadians. For example, BC is one of the few provinces with access to a PharmaNet system. We also have the BC PharmaCare program, providing each of our province’s residents access to drug coverage that is proportional to their annual income. In addition, all patients requiring chemotherapy, AIDS medications and palliative care are covered. The same cannot be said in all areas of Canada where a patchwork of coverage applies. While the genesis of the national pharmacare discussion was primarily system cost containment considerations, CPhA continues to work through the Pharmacare 2.0 policy development process to broaden the national conversation on drug coverage. CPhA proposes three guiding principles for any national pharmacare proposal: 1. Access and equity: All Canadians should have access to medically necessary medication and pharmacist services, regardless of income or province of residence. 2. Safety and effectiveness: Eligible drugs are selected based on the best evidence and outcomes, there are national standards for e-prescribing and the program helps prevent drug shortages and ensure drug quality. 3. Innovation and sustainability: Targeted investments in innovative models of healthcare delivery will better ensure sustainability. While these principles seem obvious to us here in BC, we need to keep in mind that BC residents enjoy the benefits of the best pharmacare system in the country – a system that must be extended for the protection and support of all Canadians. To find out more about Pharmacare 2.0 visit pharmacists.ca/advocacy/pharmacare-20. Mark Dickson is on the BCPhA Board of Directors and was selected as the CPhA representative for two years from 2015 to 2017.
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MEDICATIONS RETURN PROGRAM
Fish can’t say no to drugs so #ReturnYourMeds
In May, the BC Pharmacy Association partnered with the Vancouver Police Department, Metro Vancouver, London Drugs and the Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) to urge the public to safely dispose of their medications to ensure they don’t get into the wrong hands or pollute the environment. Given the prediction by BC Health Minister Terry Lake in May that the province will likely have a record number of drug overdoses in 2016, the public was reminded that the safe disposal of medication is especially critical. Prescription drugs can be effective in helping people to manage pain and other conditions, but can have deadly consequences if used inappropriately.
The BCPhA created a new entertaining and educational video to promote medications return on the theme of Fish Can’t Say No to Drugs. The video was funded by the Health Products Stewardship Association. View the video at bcpharmacy.ca/med-return.
The Association also produced an entertaining and educational video to promote medications return on the theme of “Fish Can’t Say No to Drugs,” funded by the HPSA. You can view the video at bcpharmacy.ca/med-return and share it on social media, using the hashtag #ReturnYourMeds to promote the message. To coincide with National Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day on May 21, Vancouver patients were encouraged to bring unused or expired medications to select Vancouver police stations, community centres and London Drugs pharmacies
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BCPhA members Michal Israel (left) and Yan Xia volunteered their time at the Prescription Drug Drop-off Day at Kerrisdale Community Centre on May 21.
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BCPhA member David Au (right) volunteered his time for the second year in a row to accept and count medication returned to the Trout Lake Community Centre on May 21, as part of the week-long drug drop-off program in Vancouver.
at no charge from May 16 to 21. BCPhA members David Au, Michal Israel and Yan Xia volunteered their time to accept and count medication returned at community centres in Trout Lake and Kerrisdale on May 21. A total of 50 pounds of pills (more than 37,600 pills) was returned during the week, in addition to creams, ointments, liquids, sachets, nebules, doses and strips. The public was also reminded that medication can be returned to community pharmacies across BC at any time of the year. In conjunction with the VPD, the Association held a media event at London Drugs in Vancouver on May 16 to kick off the program, with comments given by David Pavan (BCPhA past president), Martin Bruce (inspector with the VPD), Malcolm Brodie (chair of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee and Mayor of Richmond) and John Tse (vice president of pharmacy at London Drugs). The event received media coverage on CBC Radio, CTV News, News1130 and BCIT Evolution Radio.
BCPhA past president, David Pavan, addressed media at an event to promote medications return organized by the BCPhA and Vancouver Police Department at London Drugs in Vancouver on Monday, May 16. He reminded the public that they can return medication to community pharmacies at any time of the year and there are over 600 participating community pharmacies in Metro Vancouver alone.
The BCPhA also partnered with several regional districts to issue joint press releases in the Capital Regional District, Squamish-Lillooet, Northern BC, Alberni-Clayoquot, Central Okanagan and Nanaimo. Coverage was received in several regions, including Nanaimo News Bulletin, Kelowna Now, Kelowna Daily Courier, Goldstream News Gazette and the Bridge River Lillooet News. A total of 95 per cent of pharmacies in BC participate in the Medications Return Program, which is run by the HPSA. For information on setting up your pharmacy to collect returns or to order brochures about the program visit healthsteward.ca.
Martin Bruce, inspector with the VPD, told media gathered for the launch of the medications return program that youth are using prescription drugs recreationally in numbers they have never seen before.
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CARDIOVASCULAR COACHING
Next phase of cardiovascular health coaching program Focus turns to targeting eligible patients
By Matilda Meyers Elaine Cooke, a clinical pharmacist with Safeway, personally phoned close to 50 eligible patients offering counselling appointments as part of the Pharmacist Health Coaching – Cardiovascular Program that launched in February 2015. These efforts, together with those of other pharmacy staff, resulted in Cooke providing cardiovascular coaching to a total of four patients.
Currently, more than 25 per cent of deaths in Canada occur due to cardiovascular disease. Clear evidence suggests that pharmacists can positively influence adherence to drugs and health behaviours. And, because they’re so accessible, pharmacists can perform more frequent interventions with patients.
She anticipated that this number would be much higher and is now reflecting on what could be done differently to make the program more successful. She believes it’s worthwhile and that patients who don’t participate are missing a great opportunity. “Pharmacists want to be more involved in clinical services. Research shows we can make an impact. But one of the challenges is getting people to sign up,” Cooke says. The BC Pharmacy Association (BCPhA) and Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) partnered with Green Shield Canada (GSC) to introduce the program, which pays pharmacists to provide eligible patients support and counselling on managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Patients must have both high blood pressure and high cholesterol, have extended health cover with GSC and be under 65 years of age. Pharmacists must complete an online training program in order to deliver the service.
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There is a trend towards pharmacists providing additional clinical services, such as immunizations and adaptations, and chronic disease coaching offers a new opportunity to expand their scope of practice. Since the program began, 266 BC pharmacists and 325 Ontario pharmacists
Program numbers in
BC and
1. N umber of patients eligible for the cardiovascular health coaching program
40,322
2,117
3. N umber of patients that have participated in the program
15
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45
have enrolled in or completed the short online training course. Unfortunately, pharmacists in both provinces are finding it difficult to recruit patients. Over the past 16 months, 15 patients in BC have participated in the program. There are a total of 2,117 patients in BC that are eligible (see the map on page 16 to find out where they are located). Uptake in Ontario is similar. As GSC and the BCPhA evaluate the success of the program to date, there is agreement that the next phase should focus on reaching eligible patients and experimenting with new techniques for recruiting them.
Ontario 2. Number of pharmacists that have taken the online training
262
325
4. Number of claims submitted
22
57
Elaine Cooke, a clinical pharmacist with Safeway who has coached four patients since the program began, believes those patients who don’t participate are missing a great opportunity. Cooke personally phoned close to 50 eligible people trying to set up counselling appointments.
GSC has not yet communicated with eligible patients about the program as they wanted to ensure that enough pharmacists were trained to provide the service first. They are planning to start targeting patients in the fall of 2016. GSC also recently incorporated the coaching program into its Change4Life initiative. This allows patients to earn points for attending coaching sessions and redeem points for rewards. “The people I talked to were thankful, and I think they found it beneficial,” Cooke notes. “For a lot of them exercise was an issue, so we did some goal setting around lifestyle and diet. I’m not sure why more people didn’t want to participate but I think sometimes it was a time issue.” Cooke plans to continue trying to contact eligible patients. “I really like to help people,” she explains. “I get great satisfaction when someone comes back to me and says I’ve helped them.” Another Safeway pharmacist, Adeline Tan, said of the 10 eligible patients at the pharmacy where she works on Kingsway in Vancouver, two accepted her offer of coaching. She noted that many patients who are eligible for the cardiovascular health coaching program also qualify for medication review services, yet they don’t
Safeway pharmacist Adeline Tan said of the 10 eligible patients at the pharmacy where she works on Kingsway in Vancouver, only two accepted her offer of coaching. “It helps patients put their cardiovascular risk into perspective and see how modifying their risk factors can help reduce it,” Tan says.
accept those services either. She speculates that these patients may be overwhelmed by the existing medical appointments they have scheduled with various doctors and are reluctant to attend more. Tan says the program’s online training was excellent. “As pharmacists we’re in a prime position to help our patients because we have the time, the resources and the medication expertise to help them reduce their risk,” she says. “We just need to encourage patients to make use of the services we can provide.” David Willows, vice president of strategic market solutions at Green Shield Canada, says the program aims to tackle chronic disease, which accounts for the majority of prescription drug costs in private health plans. When GSC surveyed its clients, virtually 100 per cent of people elected to have the service added to their benefits plans.
manager with Green Shield Canada, encourages pharmacists who have taken the training but not yet provided coaching to approach their patients. “We’d love to see all pharmacists try and recruit as many patients as they can.” She also urges pharmacists such as Cooke and Tan to keep bringing up the subject, suggesting they begin by initiating a conversation about the patient’s overall health. “Ask ‘How are you doing? How are you doing with your medications? How is your blood pressure?’,” Mandlsohn recommends. “By engaging with the patient it establishes a rapport and once the relationship has developed it helps them see that the pharmacist has something to offer.” GSC is also able to help pharmacies identify eligible patients and can provide promotional materials about the program.
“This is the first example of private payers paying pharmacists for cognitive services,” Willows says. “So our mission now is to find the eligible patients and provide these much needed services. Phase two of this project will see us collaborating with BCPhA to do exactly that. Our goal is to impact hundreds of patients through the remainder of 2016 and into 2017.”
From GSC’s experience, Mandlsohn says the general population is made up of about 20 per cent of people who will do what needs to be done when it comes to their health, another 20 per cent who will refuse to change their habits and a final 60 per cent in the middle who can be influenced. “They’re looking for that person to enlighten and guide them,” she says of this middle group.
Dr. Leila Mandlsohn, a trained pharmacist and product specialist – pharmacy benefit
Mandlsohn says pharmacists may also wish to consider offering the service at a
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CARDIOVASCULAR COACHING Patients eligible for cardiovascular health coaching program in BC 4 6
1
15 3 2 3
9
12 35
2 17 52
13 10 239 97 71 49 47 124 41 276 1 24 4 107 2 83 4 79 32 5
1 9 1
3
21 5 2 61 7 54 2
276 239 124 107 97 86 83 81 79 71 52 49 47 45 45
43 41 39 35 32 32 24 22 21 19 18 17 17 15 14
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1
2
2
3 7 9 23
3 1 1
1
13 13 13 12 12 11 11 11 10 10 9 9 9 9 8
Terrace Sidney Revelstoke Langford Williams Lake Powell River Mill Bay Oliver Smithers Enderby Grand Forks White Rock Gibsons Hope Salt Spring Island
7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5
Castlegar Sechelt Fernie Brentwood Bay Summerland Nakusp Vanderhoof Fort Nelson North Delta Peachland Nelson Keremeos Aldergrove Saanichton Osoyoos
5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
5
Lumby Comox Lantzville Port Mcneill Lake Country Armstrong Lake Cowichan Valemount Qualicum Beach Quesnel Chase Barriere Squamish Burns Lake Shawnigan Lake
She also encourages pharmacists to email any questions, suggestions, feedback or challenges to pharmacisthealthcoaching@ greenshield.ca. “We need to help patients understand the value of this program and I think that GSC’s promotion to eligible patients will complement the work pharmacists are already doing,” says Derek Desrosiers, director of pharmacy practice support at
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9
4
18
Golden Salmon Arm Port Moody Parksville Kitimat Prince Rupert Princeton Invermere West Kelowna Pitt Meadows Ladysmith Port Alberni Dawson Creek 100 Mile House Fort St John
1
1
7 81
Kamloops New Westminster Westbank Nanaimo Chilliwack Prince George Mission Cranbrook Duncan Trail Campbell River Merritt West Vancouver Courtenay Creston
8
32
1
cost to non-GSC patients. “As pharmacists, we’re very shy to ask patients to pay for cognitive services but we need to get comfortable with that and to assigning value to the services we offer,” Mandlsohn urges. She believes pharmacies would benefit from posting a list of what they charge for various services they can provide – to drive conversations and promote delivery of the services.
16
6
5
3
Surrey Vancouver Richmond Langley Burnaby Kelowna Delta Victoria Abbotsford Coquitlam North Vancouver Port Coquitlam Maple Ridge Vernon Penticton
7 12
11
5
4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2
13 2 43 313 5 7 17 10 345 11 5 39 86 4 4 5 1 1 11 45 4 4 62 5 1 1 22 5 4 5 11 19 14
Agassiz Sicamous Port Hardy Okanagan Falls Sooke Houston Bella Bella Christina Lake Kimberley Rossland Salmo Whistler Kaslo Fort Langley New Denver
2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Tofino Lytton Lillooet Tumbler Ridge Cobble Hill Pender Island Gabriola Chemainus Fort St James
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Grand Total 2,117
the BCPhA. Desrosiers also suggested that pharmacists could try different techniques – such as motivational interviewing – in their conversations with patients. This technique involves helping patients resolve their ambivalence towards realizing personal goals. For more information on the program visit the BCPhA website.
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Highlights of the BCPhA Annual Conference 2016 Close to 300 delegates from the pharmacy sector from BC and across Canada met to network, learn and advance their careers in community pharmacy and the health-care sector at the BCPhA Annual Conference in Kelowna from May 26 to 28. More than 15 speakers presented on topics that ranged from how advances in genetic testing can shape the future of pharmacy patient care to how pharmacists ensure mastery of the core business building blocks – or DNA – of community pharmacy.
Barbara Walman, assistant deputy minister of the Medical Beneficiary and Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of Health, spoke about the organization's strategic priorities.
The keynote speaker was Kevin Davies, a renowned British author who specializes in medical genetics, personalized medicine and the Human Genome Project. Other speakers included Eric Termuende, a director and co-founder of Gen Y Inc.,
Celebrating at the Awards Gala were (left to right) Pam Pasicnyk (Sobeys), Emin Nadjafov (Yale Pharmacy), BCPhA Board member Randy Konrad (Sobeys), Nadjafov's mother Sevil Qasimova, Derek Lee (Sobeys), Fady Moussa (Sobeys), Tzu-Yie Koo (Sobeys), Jas Bhupal (Sobeys) and Elsie Lee (Sobeys).
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presenting on the future of our workforce, Dr. Corey Nislow, lead researcher for our genomics project, and representatives from the Ministry of Health and the College of Pharmacists of BC, who provided updates on the issues and hot topics in pharmacy practice. Participants could earn up to 11 accredited CEUs, had an opportunity to network and celebrate at the Awards Gala (see page 25 for profiles of the award winners), browse exhibit booths, eat great food and win exciting door prizes at The Great Gatsbythemed trade show. The 2016 AGM also took place on Saturday, May 28. Save the date for next year’s conference at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler from May 25 to 27, 2017.
The Annual Conference keynote speaker was Kevin Davies, a renowned British author who specializes in medical genetics, personalized medicine and the Human Genome Project.
From left to right: Elaine Akers (Medical Pharmacies Group Limited), Rita Egan (AstraZeneca Canada Inc.), Sherry Peister (Green Shield Canada), Bev Herczegh (The Pangaea Group) and Sayeh Radpay (then McKesson) at the Awards Gala.
Dr. Corey Nislow, lead researcher for the genomics project and an associate professor at the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reviewed the results of Phase 1 of the BCPhA's pharmacogenomics project.
Dr. Alan Low, clinical associate professor at UBC, (right) with the winning team from The Future of Pharmacy: Student Presentations (left to right) Jessica Halls, Kaitlyn Poggemoeller, Ian Galna and Kimberley Kallio.
Suzanne Solven, then deputy registrar of the College of Pharmacists of BC, addressed issues and hot topics in pharmacy practice in British Columbia.
Pharmasave helped celebrate excellence in BC pharmacy at the Awards Gala (from left to right) Tammie and Tony Toriglia, Greg Shepherd, Darin Fenton, Andrea Hyndman, Allan and Beth Williamson and Satnam Lalli.
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE
UBC students (left to right) Selina Grewal, Krista Weinberger, Rita Afkari, Karyn Bagri, Tiffany Wang, Valerie Lai, Erica Zhang and Gursheen Kambo helped kick off the conference at The Great Gatsby themed trade show.
Karen Wolfe, pharmacist and the director of policy at the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, spoke on the subject of "Integrating Patient Safety Into Your Pharmacy's DNA."
Getting in the spirit of The Great Gatsby themed trade show were (left to right) Patti Ryan (Health QR), Tina Cesiunas, manager, special projects for Remedy'sRx, and Enna Aujla, regional director of operations, BC, Remedy'sRx Specialty Pharmacy.
From left to right at the Awards Gala: Derek Dyck (Drug Trading Company), Kirby Smith (Merck Canada), Craig Dickau (Merck), Heather Travers (Merck), Dennis Wasylow (Lifescan Canada), Alicia Chin (Remedy Holdings) and Sayeh Radpay (then McKesson).
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Eric Termuende, director and co-founder of Gen Y Inc., presented on the subject of how to attract, engage and retain employees of all generations.
Paul Buxton, corporate accounts director at Apotex, (left) and Elizabeth Robinson, key account manager for BC, NWT and Yukon at Sanofi Pasteur, congratulate award winners at the Awards Gala, which recognized excellent pharmacists in BC.
Dan Martinusen, a renal pharmacist with the Vancouver Island Health Authority, provided an update from his 2014 conference presentation on subsequent entry biologics.
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ON THE COVER | MODERNIZED REFERENCE DRUG PROGRAM
Adapting to the times Modernized Reference Drug Program reminds pharmacists of their expanded scope in caring for patients By Angie Gaddy Delta pharmacist Michael Millman remembers when pharmacists were first given the ability to adapt prescriptions seven years ago. “One lady who was talking to us said, ‘Oh my god! These pharmacists, they’re going to kill us,’” Millman recalls a patient saying to him. While seemingly off-handed, the comment solidified in Millman’s mind the importance of pharmacists developing deeper relationships with their patients. “What that boils down to is you don’t trust your pharmacist,” Millman told her. “You need to go and trust your pharmacist and understand what your pharmacist can do for you.” Since 2009, pharmacists have had the ability to adapt a prescription by renewing it, changing a dose or regimen or making a therapeutic substitution. And while pharmacists have increased the number of prescription renewals, only two per cent of the province’s adapted prescriptions were for therapeutic substitutions, according to the BC Ministry of Health’s latest figures (see the chart on page 23). Therapeutic substitutions allow a pharmacist to substitute the prescribed drug with a different drug that is designed to have a similar therapeutic effect, as long as that drug is from within the same therapeutic class. Therapeutic substitutions were originally limited to five classes of drugs. This June, the province announced changes to its Reference Drug Program (RDP),
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Delta pharmacist Michael Millman says it will take a bit of effort to explain to patients their options. “It wouldn’t be us out of the blue changing their medications, they would understand the choices, the difference between what we’re doing and the motivating factor would be they would pay less for their prescription.”
adding in three new categories of drugs: Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB), Statins and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI).
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“The changes the government is making to the RDP is really an opportunity to relaunch and remind pharmacists of the opportunity that they’ve had for
a long time,” says Geraldine Vance, CEO of the BC Pharmacy Association (BCPhA). “That’s about getting involved in therapeutic substitutions, building a closer relationship with their patients and taking responsibility in a greater way for their patients’ care.”
“I think we’re all afraid of getting yelled at by a physician,” says Alex Dar Santos, BCPhA Board member and Shoppers Drug Mart associate owner in Richmond. “But I think these are conversations that need to be had. It’s important that we need to be proactive with physicians.”
The RDP was introduced in 1995 as a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada by BC’s provincial government. The program encourages cost-effective prescribing for common medical conditions.
The Ministry of Health has engaged with stakeholders, including the Doctors of BC.
The RDP was built on the premise that drugs within some therapeutic classes are substantially similar, and PharmaCare coverage could be based on the drugs that are most cost effective. The program has continued to move forward, with three new therapeutic classes added in 1997, minor changes made to the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) category in 2010 and now changes made this year. Implementation of the modernized changes will occur on December 1, 2016. Any patient that does not choose to switch to the reference drug would need to pay the difference between what PharmaCare pays and the non-reference drug cost. The BCPhA held online town hall meetings with members in April to understand what barriers may be keeping community pharmacists from doing more therapeutic substitutions. “My impression is [some pharmacists] just don’t feel it’s in their scope, even though it is,” says pharmacist Colleen Hogg, who owns the Peoples Drug Mart on Quadra Island. “A lot of them figure, ‘Well, the doctor might get mad at me if I’m changing their stuff,’ so they just don’t want to do it.” Barriers: prescribers’ reaction and workflow Some pharmacists have shared concerns over angry prescribers suggesting their patients attend a different pharmacy to avoid adaptations. Others have seen “Do not adapt” pre-stamped on a prescription, even though that is not allowed.
For rural doctors like Prean Armogan in Port McNeill, pharmacists providing adaptations and therapeutic substitutions are part of better care for patients. “We speak to pharmacists multiple times in the day and over the years you develop a relationship and a sense of understanding and you learn from each other,” Armogan says. “I think it’s a collective accountability.” Others say changing the workflow and paperwork required can be a barrier to pharmacists’ doing more therapeutic adaptations. Many say that it’s important that pharmacists use other staff members to help identify patients whose coverage may be affected by changes to the RDP. This allows the pharmacist to focus on the
RDP at a glance Unlike the Low Cost Alternative (LCA) Program, the RDP applies to drugs with different active ingredients that are in the same therapeutic category and are used to treat the same conditions. • Three existing categories in the program have been modified: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE-I), Calcium Channel Blockers (CCB) and H2 Blockers. • As well, three new therapeutic categories have been added: Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB), Statins, and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI).
Continued on page 24
Number of Prescription Adaptation and Renewal Fees Claimed 2014/15 180,000
161,428
140,000 100,000 60,000 20,000
16,333
19,918
Dosage Change
Formulation Change
15,621
6,326
0
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Directions for Use Modified
Renewal of Prescription
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Thereputic Substitution
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ON THE COVER | MODERNIZED REFERENCE DRUG PROGRAM
Value of therapeutic substitutions Therapeutic substitutions allow a pharmacist to substitute the prescribed drug with a different drug that is designed to have a similar therapeutic effect, as long as that drug is from within the same therapeutic class. The College of Pharmacists of BC recently changed its “Professional Practice Policy 58 - Medication Management (Adapting a Prescription)” to include those categories under the Ministry of Health’s Reference Drug Program.
prescription and having a conversation with the patient. “The last thing you want to do is fill a prescription twice,” Dar Santos says. Pharmacists’ role in RDP Pharmacists will be the health-care professional dealing with the majority of questions from patients and will be largely responsible for educating patients about the modernized program. In cases where a prescription is not written for a reference drug, the pharmacist may need to adapt that prescription in order to dispense a fully PharmaCare-covered drug, communicating that with the patient and their prescriber. “The relationship between the pharmacist and the patient is No. 1, because if the patient trusts the pharmacist you’re more than 90 per cent of the way there,” Millman says. To arm pharmacists with the information on changes to the RDP so they can make better decisions and have better conversations with patients, the BCPhA has created a free online training program for any pharmacist in the province. As well, the Ministry has developed a Modernized RDP guide and decision support tools, which have been mailed to all pharmacies across the province. They are also available for download on PharmaCare’s website.
Pharmacist Michael Millman (centre) and his team at Delta Prescription Clinic who will be helping to implement the Modernized RDP (left to right) Amandeep Dhaliwal (pharmacy assistant), Minh Tran (pharmacist), Michael Tellis (pharmacist), Kathy Krauss (pharmacy assistant), Jasraaj Gill (pharmacy technician), Sabrina Van Daele (pharmacy assistant), Michelle Steuart (pharmacist), Carly Millman (pharmacy assistant) and Chariy Juan (pharmacy assistant). Missing: Katie Luehmann (pharmacy assistant), Joana Espiritu (pharmacy assistant) and Nav Randhawa (pharmacist).
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“It’s going to take a little bit of effort to explain [the patient’s] options and you don’t want them to feel like, ‘If you do not change you do not get your drug’,” Millman says. “It wouldn’t be us out of the blue changing their medications, they would understand the choices, the difference between what we’re doing and the motivating factor would be they would pay less for their prescription.” For more information on the Modernized RDP, visit bcpharmacy.ca/modernized-rdp.
EXCELLENCE IN PHARMACY AWARDS
Pharmacists recognized for passion and dedication The BCPhA recognized the passion, hard work and dedication of eight community pharmacists and two UBC pharmacy students at the 2016 Excellence in BC Pharmacy Awards Gala on May 27. The awards recognize pharmacists who have gone above and beyond in their profession. You can also watch videos of all the award winners at bcpharmacy.ca/awards. Congratulations to this year’s winners.
Bud Massender Winner of the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Bowl of Hygeia Award
When word spread around Bowen Island that its beloved co-owner of Cates Medicine Centre Pharmacy, Bud Massender, was being nominated for a BC Pharmacy Association award, the letters of support started piling in. Everyone from health-care colleagues to fellow choir members, business owners, church leaders and, of course, long-term residents and customers wrote to share their love and appreciation for Massender. “Bowen is a very unique place,” he says. “That speaks as much to what Bowen’s done for us as what we’ve done for it. Bowen is absolutely different from anywhere else in the world. People are interested in what’s going on in each other’s lives; that’s pretty infectious.” Massender and his wife Nan first arrived on Bowen 25 years ago, fulfilling a longheld dream of living and working on an island. After owning a successful pharmacy
Bud Massender (right), pharmacist and co-owner of Cates Medicine Centre Pharmacy on Bowen Island (pictured with patient Pat Lalonde), is an invaluable member of the Bowen Island community and works in close partnership with local health-care professionals. Massender is the recipient of the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Bowl of Hygeia Award.
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in Fort Langley for 18 years and raising three sons, the couple sold their store in search of their lives’ next chapter. Following several years of locum work and a short stint in Sidney, BC, eventually
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EXCELLENCE IN PHARMACY AWARDS
“In what seemed like no time at all, they established themselves as an integral part of Bowen Island life,” says pharmacy employee Elaine Loree. “Bud is one of the kindest and most caring persons I have had the privilege of knowing. It would seem that there is no single individual or group on Bowen that has not been touched by Bud’s generosity.” Amidst the proclamations of Massender’s compassion and dedication is a common thread of his outstanding service to the community. Whenever an urgent need arises, Massender doesn’t hesitate to open up shop at all hours of the night – dispensing emergency medication at 3 a.m., providing diapers for a visiting mother late on a Friday night and, most famously, opening up on Christmas Day so a young family could capture their baby’s first Christmas on film. “Time without number, Bud has responded to people in response to their need, with no thought to his own convenience,” says Reverend Shelagh MacKinnon. “He would not hesitate to open the pharmacy in an emergency to help us out,” adds Norma Dallas, owner of Bowen Island Marina. “He has provided our island with excellent service and always with kind Bud Massender, pharmacist and co-owner understanding.” of Cates Medicine Centre Pharmacy on Bowen Island, and winner of the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Bowl of Hygeia Award, is a beloved member of the local community. "Bowen is absolutely different from anywhere else in the world," Massender says. "People are interested in what’s going on in each other’s lives; that’s pretty infectious.”
an opportunity arose in 1991 to open up Bowen Island’s first-ever pharmacy. After a few short months running a small dispensary underneath the island’s pub, the Massenders had the opportunity to move into a brand new building in one of the island’s central retail squares. Massender recalls the transition was a bit rocky at first. Because the island had never had a pharmacy before, locals were used to filling their prescriptions on the nearby North Shore. “Prescription volume was about 10-12 a day,” Massender chuckles, recalling their slow, early days in business. Within just a few short years, however, business picked up as the Massenders reached out to their community in many ways – joining choirs, sponsoring Little League teams, organizing weekly community badminton practices and befriending a growing number of customers.
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To Massender, this is simply life on Bowen. “There is a really thin line between being in business and being part of the community – you have to be both and that’s part of the enjoyment of it.”
While Massender, who has been practicing pharmacy for more than 50 years, flirted with retirement just over a decade ago – “I wasn’t quite ready to retire after all; I got tired of walking the dog” – the long-serving pharmacist is thoroughly enjoying his last years of pharmacy before retiring permanently. Currently working part-time, Massender is eager to see healthcare services grow on Bowen Island, as its population continues to surge. Most recently, Massender served as president for a local committee working to develop a full-service medical clinic on the island, helping to bring more permanent services to islanders like he did 25 years ago. “It certainly is very nice to be recognized as having made a contribution,” Massender says, reflecting on his life on Bowen. “It’s a wonderful place to end my career.”
Mohamed Hasanine
Winner of the Leadership in Pharmacy Award
Agassiz wasn’t exactly what Mohamed Hasanine had in mind when he emigrated from Egypt to Canada with his wife and two small children. Growing up, Hasanine remembers eagerly awaiting the return of his uncle each summer, who spent the school year as a professor at McMaster University. He would listen fondly to his uncle’s stories of Canada and dreamed about a future in the Mohamed Hasanine (second from the country one day. When making the lifeleft), pharmacist/co-owner of Agassiz changing immigration decision as a young Remedy’sRx and Seabird Pharmacy in Agassiz, is the winner of the Leadership in pharmacist, Hasanine imagined settling in Pharmacy Award. He is pictured with coa community close to the exciting hustle owner Tareq Youssef (right), and their staff and bustle of Vancouver.
Health and Wellness Business through the Agassiz-Harrison Observer,” says Hasanine pharmacy assistants Natalie Bolan (left) and of his business, Agassiz Remedy’sRx, which Anne Evans. But just a few short years after arriving, he jointly owns and manages with Tareq and completing the UBC Canadian Youssef. “Competing against all retail Pharmacy Practice Programme, Hasanine businesses in this category, this establishes was determined to invest as a pharmacy owner in a community how much people can really love a pharmacy!” where increased services were urgently needed. Researching With a largely senior population, the pharmaceutical needs of several opportunities, he settled on Agassiz and has been Agassiz and neighbouring community Harrison Hot Springs delighted with his decision ever since. were underserved prior to Hasanine’s arrival in 2012, says nurse “We’re very proud to have won the 2016 People’s Choice Award practitioner Sean Young, who has provided primary care at the and 2012 Excellence in Service Award through the Harrison Agassiz Community Health Centre since 2006. Agassiz Chamber of Commerce as well as the 2015 People’s Best “Mohamed immediately changed things for the better in this community,” Young says. “I have received tremendous positive feedback about Mohamed and his pharmacy from my patients who use his services. I can see how positively that impacted my patients’ health outcomes.” Since opening his store, Hasanine’s primary goal has been to provide an expanded scope of services tailored to the specific needs of Agassiz’s population, including medication reviews, custom compounding, After emigrating from Egypt, pharmacist/cofree prescription delivery, diabetes owner of Agassiz Remedy’sRx and Seabird support and an increased selection of Pharmacy in Agassiz, Mohamed Hasanine decided to open a store in Agassiz because home health care supplies and medical he wanted to invest in a community where dressings, among others. Most recently, increased services were urgently needed. Hasanine and his business partner Hasanine was presented with the Leadership in Pharmacy Award.
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Youssef partnered with Seabird Island Band to open up a second location, Seabird Pharmacy, to serve the needs of a nearby First Nations reserve. It’s not uncommon for Hasanine to go the extra mile for patients, providing lengthy, one-on-one consultations, sourcing supply alternatives at nearby locations if unavailable at his store and partnering with fellow health-care professionals to offer comprehensive medication reviews and suggestions for improved treatment. “I have a lot of passion for pharmacy,” he says. “It’s not only a profession for me, it’s a way of life. I see it as going to meet my extended family every day.” Hasanine draws from an extensive and varied pharmacy career in Egypt, where he worked in hospital, specializing in cardiovascular care, as well as in community pharmacy and pharmaceutical sales, with a focus on diabetes. Since relocating to Canada, Hasanine’s goal has been to further expand his knowledge and personalized care by achieving a new certification each year. To date, he has completed: BC injection certificate, art of
compounding training (University of Florida), Canadian diabetes educator certificate, ADAPT certificate in patient counselling skills, lab monitoring course and travel medicine for pharmacists. Up next is certification in geriatrics care. With just one year of UBC pharmacy mentorship under his belt, Hasanine has already been nominated for UBC’s Practice Educator of the Year Award in 2015. Hasanine is thrilled to be recognized for serving his community, and feels rewarded every day by his patients, of whom he knows most by name. Many come in to thank him for his care, to give him cards, congratulate him on his accomplishments and even pass on birthday wishes to his children, eight and 11. Says local resident and pharmacy customer, Dave Harris: “With many health issues, I am very appreciative of [Mohamed’s] skill and knowledge as well as his determination to help me. I strongly believe we are so lucky having Mohamed practicing here in our community.”
Ajit Johal
Winner of the New Practitioner Award
Growing up the son of a pharmacist, Ajit Johal was fairly certain he would follow in his father’s footsteps. As a teen, his father acquired an independent shop, Wilson Pharmacy, where Johal spent several high school summers as a pharmacy assistant. Confident he would join his father in the family business, Johal sought out a different path to many aspiring BC pharmacists and attended pharmacy school at the University of Toronto. “I did my schooling through U of T, mainly because I wanted to live on my own,” says Johal. “That’s where I developed those life skills.”
Clinical services coordinator Ajit Johal has transformed Wilson Pharmacy in Port Coquitlam into a juggernaut of primary care services. Johal won the New Practitioner Award for the outstanding work he has done in a large number of clinical areas to promote the profession of pharmacy and improve patient outcomes.
Since graduating in 2012 and returning home to British Columbia, Johal has thrown himself into the business, expanding services and morphing the small, community shop into a juggernaut of primary care services. “It started as a mom and pop corner pharmacy and it still has that great community feel, but we really wanted to turn it into a big clinical services provider. We wanted to make huge inroads into primary care.”
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Assessing opportunities for pharmacy care in the Lower Mainland, Johal identified a huge need within the area of mental health – patients who tend to have very complex medication regimens and high rates of comorbidity. Johal approached Coast Mental Health to provide services, and is now an integral member of primary care services for this vulnerable population. As clinical pharmacist for the Coast Mental Health Medication Program, Johal provides medication administration and support services for more than 350 patients across the Lower Mainland.
“Patients in the program are complex in nature,” says Renay Bajkay, Coast Mental Health program director. “All have underlying mental illness and many have chronic diseases. Since Ajit came aboard, I have seen the role of pharmacy move beyond just drug distribution, to an essential clinical support service.”
establishing Wilson Pharmacy as a key source for travel-related medicine awareness and clinical services. The service allows customers to book an appointment online at travelrx.ca for travel consultations and vaccinations at one of two participating pharmacies – Wilson and Laurel Prescriptions, in Vancouver.
In addition to comprehensive medication reviews at program locations across the Lower Mainland, Johal sends recommendation letters to various prescribers to optimize care and prevent drug therapy problems, provides training to staff in the form of workshops and presentations and offers on-site immunizations programs for both staff and clients.
While Johal has accomplished much in the last several years, he considers his path as only just beginning. “I like the quote from Nelson Mandela, ‘After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb,’” says Johal, of his future plans. “I’m looking to flesh out the programs more and move into resultsoriented practice, collecting data and partnering with institutions like UBC to change the scope of practice and show the public what pharmacists can do.”
“We’re fulfilling a need that was always there,” says Johal. “They don’t necessarily have the 24-hour clinical support that would be ideal, and they never had that pharmacy resource available. It feels great to have a big impact with the organization.” As a passionate learner, Johal is certified in travel health as well as diabetes education, which he uses on a regular basis to provide health-care education awareness in several capacities – with community patients at Wilson Pharmacy, his primary care services with Coast Mental Health and also as a clinical instructor and course coordinator for pharmacy 450b, an elective in travel medicine for third and fourth-year pharmacy students at UBC.
He recently began work in this area, as the only participant in the Tri-Cities area to partner in the BCPhA and Genome BC’s pharmacogenomics project, “Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in Community Pharmacies.” Overall, he hopes this award recognition will inspire other recent pharmacy graduates to aspire towards challenging roles, whatever their circumstances may be. “It’s a message to other new grads out there,” he says. “They can make a difference right out of the gates.”
Sourcing a community need and business opportunity, Johal stretched his travel medicine certification one step further,
Colleen Hogg
Winner of the Excellence in Practice Award
As owner of Peoples Drug Mart on Quadra Island, Colleen Hogg has dedicated much of her adult life to serving the Vancouver Island community through her pharmacy practice. Purchasing the business as a young entrepreneur in 1999, Hogg and her husband and co-owner, Shane Hogg, put in many hours establishing the pharmacy in the remote town, working seven days a week. Even the birth of her first child, Connor – just one year Colleen Hogg is passionate about not later – barely slowed her down. “We like to call him our drug store baby,” Hogg says with a laugh. “I had him and was back at the store two weeks later. I wore him in a sling, or had him in the bassinet or Jolly Jumper. My customers would sometimes take the baby while I filled their prescription.”
only expanding her pharmacy scope of practice through continuing education and certifications, but also through participating in pilot projects and new studies at UBC. The owner/manager of Peoples Drug Mart on Quadra Island, Hogg was recognized for her lifelong dedication to pharmacy with the Excellence in Practice Award.
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Having grown up in the small town of Union Bay, also on Vancouver Island, Hogg was passionate about serving the needs of a small community. “Growing up in a small town, you feel invested and a
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part of a community,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to try and find a way to help people and feel like I’m contributing.” A self-described hands-on person, Hogg has developed an excellent rapport with her customers, as well as her fellow health-care practitioners, keeping in close contact with the community’s doctors to help monitor patients. As the only pharmacy on Quadra Island, Hogg has introduced medication reviews, individual personalized medication cards, immunizations, and has provided a muchneeded local source for OTC medications, mobility aids and first-aid supplies for the island’s expanding senior community. Since opening up shop, health-care services for Quadra Island residents have greatly improved, says Elizabeth Doak, a retired nurse, pharmacy customer and longtime resident. “For years, our island had irregular local physician coverage,” she says. “I believe the presence of a pharmacist supported stability in our local physician presence and improved the overall health of many residents, who could get advice from a consistent, caring local professional.”
" To be successful in pharmacy, you need to like to help people and be passionate about helping people," says Colleen Hogg, owner/ manager of Peoples Drug Mart on Quadra Island. Hogg (left) is pictured with registered technician Corrina Turner and is the winner of the Excellence in Practice Award.
Once established on Quadra Island, Hogg’s reach continued to grow in order to meet the unique needs of several different remote communities surrounding Campbell River. For nearly a decade, Hogg has operated a remote location at the Community Health Centre on nearby Cortes Island, providing regular prescription pick-up service to island residents throughout the week (dispensing from her Quadra Island facility).
“Colleen has designed a fast and highly effective operation that supports a level of service unavailable to many small communities, let alone one as remote as ours,” says Jason Andrews, vice president of the Cortes Community Health Association. “Her efforts are a credit to her profession, and have contributed greatly to our quality of life.” More recently, Hogg opened a second location in Gold River, a remote town 1.5 hours’ drive from Campbell River. Struggling to maintain staff in the remote location, Hogg oversees the
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location as a telepharmacy, providing safe and reliable pharmacy services for the community, while maintaining effective operations within her business.
“Setting up the telepharmacy took a lot of time and effort, sourcing materials and being able to find ways to be effective,” she notes. “To have a good quality of care for my clients, and still keep the doors open is always my goal.” As an advocate for not only the pharmacy profession but also access to health-care services for remote communities, Hogg is passionate about not only expanding her scope of practice through continuing education and certifications, but also through participating in pilot projects and new studies at UBC. “You have to make yourself available to learn and try new things in your career,” says Hogg, who hopes to one day volunteer with Pharmacists Without Borders. “To be successful in pharmacy, you need to like to help people and be passionate about helping people.”
Ryan Kullar
Winner of the Murray Dykeman Mentorship Award
There was never a question in Ryan Kullar’s mind that he would become a pharmacist. Growing up in the small northern Vancouver Island community of Port Alberni, Kullar regularly spent his weekends and school breaks working alongside his father, who owned and managed an independent pharmacy for 20 years. “When I left [Port Alberni] at 18, I knew I wanted to do pharmacy because I already knew so much about it,” he says. “My biggest mentor was my own dad.” Kullar, however, knew he wanted to forge his own path and while different from his father’s experience, was drawn “I love a challenge, and I wanted to affect to a more corporate model of community the broader scope of pharmacy,” says pharmacy, through Shoppers Drug Mart. As a student intern at the national company throughout his pharmacy education, Kullar advanced quickly with Shoppers Drug Mart, taking on the role of associate owner of several locations, in Burnaby, Langley and North Vancouver, at just 24.
trailblazing pharmacist Ryan Kullar. Renowned for opening doors for young pharmacists seeking new challenges and expanding their scope, Kullar is a pharmacy operations specialist with Shoppers Drug Mart in BC and Yukon and the winner of the Murray Dykeman Mentorship Award.
“When I became an associate owner in 2008, I was one of the youngest people in Canada in the role,” says Kullar, who notes that the company has since shifted its model, offering advancement opportunities to pharmacists of all ages. “A lot of people look at me as a trailblazer in the company – it’s what I’m known for and a lot of people now benefit from that.” Through that experience of inspiring his pharmacy colleagues to take on new professional challenges, Kullar sought a new opportunity in 2012 to expand his reach as one of two pharmacy operations specialists in BC and the Yukon. Overseeing 82 stores across the province, Kullar works with franchise owners to achieve key performance goals, identify and monitor opportunities for future franchisees and ensure regulation compliance. “I love a challenge, and I wanted to affect the broader scope of pharmacy,” Kullar says. “Developing and mentoring talent, not just in my store, but in the company as a whole, I can have an even greater impact – helping associate owners achieve more than they could ever think they could achieve.”
As a self-described “guy in the trenches,” you won’t often find Kullar in his office. Instead he’s travelling throughout his designated area – from Vancouver Island to northern BC, the Yukon, and many communities throughout the Lower Mainland – meeting with associate owners, leading workshops, providing feedback and problem solving, in an effort to expand the role of pharmacy care across BC. Known for his approachable, authentic management style, Kullar’s one-on-one meetings have often led to new opportunities, expanded services and increased confidence for pharmacists looking to move up within the company. “Ryan always makes the time to sit down with his fellow pharmacists and has a genuine interest in their story,” says Chidi Nwaogwugwu, a pharmacy manager with the company. “He goes above and beyond to ensure they feel comfortable with their current progress. His mentoring has helped me become more focused in my career and helped me become a better leader and mentor to others.” Kullar is a passionate advocate for continuing education and certification training, in an effort to further customer service
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through services such as medication adaptations and vaccination consultations. “I hope to help change the lives of British Columbians,” he says. “Every professional service we offer, that’s how we convince people that pharmacists are more than just pill pushers.” At just 32, Kullar is widely respected by his many pharmacy colleagues across the province, many of which are young, new associate owners themselves, navigating the challenges, pitfalls and opportunities of juggling both pharmacy and business management. “I had not been a pharmacist for a very long time, however, I was becoming somewhat disillusioned with what we had learned our role was in pharmacy school and what it was shaping up to be in practice,” says Kiran Basran, a Shoppers Drug Mart associate owner in Burnaby. “Ryan became a mentor to me and has helped me greatly to understand that the field is only going to change and
become more advanced with our hard work and activism. He pushes the envelope on what we as pharmacists believe our role should be.” “Ryan is a person who always thinks about how to make things better and easier for everyone,” adds Jason Wong, a pharmacy manager with Shoppers in Vancouver. “I have come a long way since I first started practicing pharmacy in 2013 and Ryan was instrumental to my success.” Although his career path has taken a decidedly different bent to his own father’s, Kullar says his dad is proud of what he has accomplished on behalf of pharmacy practice. “I think of all of the people I’ve mentored over the years, and it makes me really proud of myself for helping people to achieve the best we can achieve,” says Kullar. “I’m proud to be a good citizen.” Kullar lives in Richmond with his family and says he is grateful for the support of his wife Kiran and two sons, Kalan and Javan.
Craig Plain
Winner of the Ben Gant Innovative Practice Award
Craig Plain was enjoying a pleasant and rewarding career as a manager at a corporate pharmacy in South Surrey/White Rock when he was approached to help launch a brand new clinical pharmacy practice in the heart of the Downtown Eastside in 2015. Introduced by a mutual pharmacy colleague to Bobby Milroy, director of Pier Health Resource Centre, Plain was intrigued by the centre’s unique clinical approach. “I realized this was a new and exciting career path that could really make an impact not only in the Downtown Eastside, but an interesting opportunity to expand the role of pharmacy,” says Plain. With the aim of addressing the needs of a homeless and atrisk population – many of whom are daily or weekly pharmacy customers – Pier Health provides mental health and chronic disease outreach support, with a strong emphasis on solving drug therapy problems Craig Plain, pharmacy manager of Pier both within the pharmacy as well as Health Resource Centre in Vancouver, through regular outreach within the was awarded the Ben Gant Innovative Practice Award. Plain operates a local community. According to Plain, this often starts with a simple conversation. Customers are invited
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dynamic, challenging and entirely unique model of pharmacy practice that delivers care to some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable population.
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to sit at one of the pharmacy’s intake booths and sit face-to-face with a member of the pharmacy team to discuss their health background and medication needs, but also just to chat about their day or week. “The best part of my day is sitting at one of the intake stations,” says Plain. “You never know who’s going to come in next. Many want to talk and share their story and share how they’re doing.” For many, the focused, personalized care has been life changing. “Craig is different than any other pharmacist I have met in my 20 years of using daily pharmacy,” says pharmacy customer Irene Mountain. “His compassion and advice has helped me get into a great rhythm in my life; Craig is an important part of my daily routine.” In his initial conversations with patients, Plain is often sparked to probe further in certain areas, referring patients back to their doctors, resolving recurring drug therapy issues through comprehensive medication reviews and arranging for the emergency treatment of patients in urgent need – even driving patients to the hospital himself if need be.
Pier Health Resource Centre operates differently to most pharmacies, with customers invited to sit face-to-face with a member of the pharmacy team at one of the intake booths to discuss their health background and medication needs, but also just to chat about their day or week. Craig Plain (left), pharmacy manager and winner of the Ben Gant Innovative Practice Award, is pictured with director Bobby Milroy in the unique pharmacy.
“Many of our patients weren’t being recognized,” he says. “Nothing was being resolved, open wounds not being addressed, people being refused service because of their coverage. It’s a little shocking to me still.” In addition to managing the concept pharmacy and working oneon-one with patients, Plain is also the first pharmacist in BC to administer depo anti-psychosis injections on site, through a pilot project with St. Paul’s Hospital Department of Psychiatry. Having administered nearly 40 injections to date, Plain’s dedication to this expanded scope of pharmacy practice allows patients greater flexibility in receiving their vital injections, increasing medication adherence success rates for this extremely at-risk group. “Craig compassionately and competently administered medication to individuals deemed dangerous, aggressive and afflicted by acute psychosis,” says John Shaske, pharmacy manager/owner of Howe Sound Community Pharmacy, on which the Pier Health clinical model is based. “Craig has single-handedly expanded the scope of community pharmacy in BC and done
so under the most intense and dynamic circumstances possible.”
In his role, Plain strives to make a difference – not just to his daily patients, but also to the Downtown Eastside community as a whole. Working in partnership with the UBC psychiatry research team, his comprehensive documented clinical work has provided the team with invaluable research and statistics on the local population, in an effort to address the community’s ongoing needs through targeted, accessible health-care services. “I think it’s exciting to feel like we’ve filled a need in the Downtown Eastside,” Plain notes. “I could see this model working in other areas [of BC] and having this service would be very beneficial to many communities.” Overall, he hopes his work inspires others in pharmacy to pursue an expanded scope of practice in their careers. Having mentored a dozen pharmacy students since joining Pier Health, Plain strives to expose his students to a unique and meaningful model of pharmacy. “I can honestly say Craig’s approach to community pharmacy has reshaped my vision of what is possible in my career,” says graduating pharmacy student Jarred Kelly. “He is an inspiring leader and a great teacher.”
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Derek Desrosiers
Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award
It would be easy to argue there is no person more dedicated to the profession of pharmacy in BC than Derek Desrosiers, director of pharmacy practice support at the BC Pharmacy Association. Not only has he experienced firsthand the many different roles that commonly accompany the profession – pharmacist, manager, owner – he has also represented the interests of pharmacists through numerous executive and Board positions, including CEO of Unipharm, two stints at the BCPhA head office and a phenomenal six terms as president of the BCPhA Board of Directors.
Derek Desrosiers, director of pharmacy practice support at the BC Pharmacy Association, accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Awards Gala. Desrosiers is renowned for being a compassionate and thoughtful advocate for pharmacy who pays close attention to member concerns, consistently monitoring for emerging issues that need action and support.
“There’s no question about Derek’s dedication to the profession,” says Bryce Wong, manager of pharmacy practice support at the BCPhA and Desrosiers’ employee. “He’s dedicated his life and career to pharmacy.” Having volunteered thousands of hours to represent community pharmacy as a Board member, Desrosiers is known for his commitment to giving back to his profession. Playing a critical role in shaping the Board’s current approach, it was vital to Desrosiers that the voluntary Board members represent a commitment to the sector as a whole, as opposed to serving individual needs. “The thing that distinguishes Derek in many ways is he doesn’t do anything in half measure,” says BCPhA CEO Geraldine Vance. “He feels a deep obligation to do what’s in the best interest of the profession.” Drawing on his decades of past career accomplishments, Desrosiers is a fierce supporter of the future direction of pharmacy care in BC – to expand the scope of clinical pharmacy services, utilizing the skills and expertise of pharmacists to advance health care in BC and save critical tax dollars. Desrosiers is in constant communication with government leaders as well as regulatory bodies, lobbying for increased opportunities for pharmacists and fewer barriers to providing comprehensive, high quality care for patients across the province.
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“As an advocacy organization, it’s a balance between building relationships and taking tough stances on issues,” notes Vance. “I think Derek understands that balance, working with people in the ministry and third party payers. They know that Derek means business, but he’s the kind of guy that people want to do business with. He’s respectful and understands their needs.” A compassionate and thoughtful advocate, Desrosiers pays close attention to member concerns, consistently monitoring comments for emerging issues needing action and support, such as pharmacy’s role in marijuana legalization and medically assisted death, for example. In addition, he is responsible for the advancement of pharmacist training, working with Wong to develop and deliver relevant training modules and resource materials. Most recently, Desrosiers led the development of a new program designed to help pharmacists better understand regulatory compliance within their practice. He regularly organizes education sessions and business basics information seminars for those pharmacists interested in launching into business ownership, as well as developing the program for the BCPhA Annual Conference. To colleague and chief operating officer Cyril Lopez, Desrosiers returned to the association role at a perfect time in pharmacy’s history. “In returning to his advocacy role, he wanted to make a stamp to say, ‘This is my last 10 years, what can I do to make an imprint?’” Lopez
notes. “This is a time where the profession needs to take a step forward, not a gradual change. And he can get people together to make those changes.” To his wife, Bertha Johnson, Desrosiers’ naturally curious, ambitious personality has allowed him to thrive in his career and on behalf of the pharmacy profession. “His keen interest in pharmacy is remarkable,” says Johnson, who met Desrosiers at the BCPhA in 1992 when she was working as the Association’s director of finance and administration and he was serving one of his first terms on the Board. “His determination and his drive are some of his strongest character traits. He’s interested in the new technologies and services that are coming out; he wants to know and he wants to be a leader in these areas.” His drive, she says, is what has kept him strong in his recent fight against a rare blood disorder, diagnosed just several years ago. Having undergone a stem cell transplant and two rounds of chemotherapy, he
has taken off very little time from work to date, forging ahead through his illness. “That really shows his determination – it’s just part of him.” Outside of work, Desrosiers is well known for his many pursuits – running marathons and Ironman triathlons with Johnson, traveling extensively (most recently enjoying an Elton John concert in Las Vegas with Johnson) and exploring new culinary cuisines. He is also father to a daughter and stepdaughter, as well as three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Often heard from across the office laughing loudly, sharing stories and reminiscing on the past, Desrosiers is a caring, compassionate person who truly respects the people he works with and works for. “The nominations committee were unanimous that Derek was the obvious candidate for the Lifetime Achievement Award this year,” notes Vance. “He really exemplifies the person who has given back to their profession and he’s been acknowledged by his peers.”
David Wang
Winner of the Voice of Pharmacy Award
For many young student pharmacists unsure of their post-graduate future, even a seemingly small comment or experience can help set the tone for their pharmacy career. This was true for David Wang, who graduated from UBC in 2012. Unsure of his future plans, it was one simple – yet bold – remark from his preceptor at a Vancouver Shoppers Drug Mart that set him on his current path. “He said, ‘David, you’re such an active, social person. You always want to be the centre of attention,’” Wang notes, laughing at the memory. “He basically called me a diva, and my life somehow took a dramatic turn.” David Wang, pharmacist/owner of Within two months of his first pharmacy job, he was asked to take over as pharmacy manager, and by 2014 became associate owner of a brand new Shoppers Drug Mart in the newly developed area of Burke Mountain in Coquitlam.
Shoppers Drug Mart in Coquitlam was presented with the Voice of Pharmacy Award. Wang is passionate about increasing pharmacy-related clinical services and furthering the role of pharmacists within health-care delivery.
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Recently adding a second Shoppers location to his roster in Coquitlam’s Austin Heights neighbourhood, Wang now manages two teams of nearly 50 people,
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while also daily managing the Burke Mountain pharmacy and is “absolutely loving every single minute of it.” As a pharmacist and business owner, Wang was eager to make a name for himself, both to see his business succeed but also to educate his community on the expanded opportunities available within the community pharmacy model. “The more I interact with customers and community members, I can see that pharmacists are often being "Me winning this award is one thing, but misinterpreted by patients and other if everybody could go that extra mile health-care professionals,” he notes. The young, ambitious professional set out to change the narrow view of pharmacists held by many community members, as well as make a positive impact on the lives of not only his customers, but also new immigrants to Coquitlam as well.
to educate patients about what we do, that bond would grow stronger between pharmacist and patient," says David Wang, pharmacist/owner of Shoppers Drug Mart in Coquitlam and winner of the Voice of Pharmacy Award. "This would save a lot of money in health care in BC, and at the same time, make a difference in patients’ lives.”
Partnering with the Coquitlam chapter of SUCCESS, Wang regularly volunteers to speak to large groups of new immigrants about health care in Canada, sharing information about pharmacy, vaccinations and medical coverage, in his native language of Mandarin. Praised for his personable and knowledgeable approach to health care education awareness, Wang was encouraged to expand his outreach to local political leaders, including Coquitlam-Burke Mountain MLA Jodie Wickens and Coquitlam City Council. “I want to help local residents understand what pharmacy is all about,” he says. “People need to know what we can do to make their lives easier.” This includes an increasing level of clinical services for Burke Mountain residents, such as flu shots, travel vaccination consultation, heart and wellness counselling and MMR vaccines for children. “I have witnessed firsthand how David as a pharmacist and associate owner has strengthened the bond between pharmacy and government, which further offers great benefits to the local community,” says pharmacist Youna Choi. Through Wang’s outreach, the Burke Mountain Shoppers Drug Mart has become a go-to location for political and other
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community leaders, such as members of the RCMP and local firefighters, to receive their annual vaccinations.
Wang also played a critical role in securing a community doctor’s office, Foothills Medical Clinic, for the developing neighbourhood, which is now located in the same retail centre as Wang’s pharmacy. In regular contact with the clinic’s health-care team, led by Dr. Darryl Ableman, Wang strives to ensure a high level of care for their combined patients, alleviating stress on the busy medical clinic. “David and his team have helped me greatly in providing better patient care by providing the necessary medication education,” says Ableman. “His team provides vaccinations and other pharmacist-enabled clinical services which have greatly alleviated the congestion at the office during the winter. He is a leader in his field of expertise.” Wang strives to see his vision for expanded pharmacy care inspire others to reach their full potential. “My proudest achievement is whenever I’m able to share my vision for pharmacy,” says Wang. “Me winning this award is one thing, but if everybody could go that extra mile to educate patients about what we do, that bond would grow stronger between pharmacist and patient. This would save a lot of money in health care in BC, and at the same time, make a difference in patients’ lives.”
Aliya Daulat and Jason Alessio Winners of the Apotex Inc. Future British Columbia Leader Award
During their four years in the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aliya Daulat and Jason Alessio were actively involved student leaders, both members of several on-campus and pharmacy-related organizations and associations. With a family comprised of lawyers and journalists, Daulat was eager to try her hand at a different career, in the sciences. After being hired as a pharmacy assistant after high school, she was inspired to pursue a career in pharmacy. “I loved how you can do everything you want Russ Loader (centre), account manager in one profession,” says Daulat, speaking to at Apotex, presents Jason Alessio (left) pharmacy’s wide range of opportunities as and Aliya Daulat with the Apotex Inc. Future British Columbia Leader Award. health-care professional, community leader During their four years in the UBC and business entrepreneur. Early in her pharmacy education at UBC, Daulat threw herself into volunteer work. She served as a member of the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (PhUS), facilitating communication between faculty and students and representing her peers at UBC senate meetings.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Daulat and Alessio were actively involved student leaders, both members of several on-campus and pharmacy-related organizations and associations.
And as an active member of CHIUS, the Community Health Initiative by University Students, an interdisciplinary student and resident team, Daulat delivered multiple presentations in partnership with medical and nursing students, speaking to the needs of the Downtown Eastside population and informing these patients about how pharmacists can be involved in their health. “Overall throughout my experience at UBC, I was really proud that I was a pharmacy student.” With plans to begin her career in the hospital setting, Daulat is excited about her future
career possibilities in the dynamic field of pharmacy. For Jason Alessio, pharmacy is a family business. Growing up alongside his pharmacist father, Alessio was confident about following the same career path.
With a keen interest in advocating on behalf of the pharmacy profession, Alessio was heavily involved throughout his time at UBC as a student representative. He was thrilled to serve three terms as a BCPhA student ambassador, beginning in his second year. As a representative of the Association to faculty and students, Alessio helped educate the UBC group on the BCPhA’s new goals and policies. He also traveled to Victoria for Pharmacy Day in 2015, acting as a student ambassador and advocating for the role of pharmacy with various participating MLAs. “I think advocacy first starts with every pharmacist,” he says. “I hope to continue staying involved with the BC Pharmacy Association,
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CAREER LISTINGS
ARE YOU MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF YOUR MEMBER BENEFITS? Pharmacy members can place free career opportunities listings in this section and on the BCPhA website. We have the best pharmacy job board in BC! For the full listings of pharmacy technician and assistant positions visit the Pharmacy Technician Society of BC website at ptsbc.ca
UBC student Aliya Daulat accepts the Apotex Inc. Future British Columbia Leader Award at the Excellence in BC Pharmacy Awards Gala. “I loved how you can do everything you want in one profession,” says Daulat, speaking to pharmacy’s wide range of opportunities as healthcare professional, community leader and business entrepreneur.
Pharmacist members looking for new career opportunities can post their resumes for free on the Hire-aPharmacist page. To learn more, visit the recruitment section of bcpharmacy.ca
whatever that may be in the future.”
ABBOTSFORD
Through the PhUS, he served as sports coordinator, setting up fun sporting events for faculty and students to connect in a unique way, through events such as dodgeball, a ski trip, a visit to a Whitecaps game and more. He’s also used his PhUS participation to assist in and co-organize (in his third and fourth year) an annual speed networking event where students receive tips and hints on networking, working with a mentor through a fun, lighthearted model based on speed dating. Following graduation, Alessio will move to the Interior to start work in an independent pharmacy, to be
UBC student Jason Alessio accepts the Apotex Inc. Future British Columbia Leader Award at the Excellence in BC Pharmacy Awards Gala. “I think advocacy first starts with every pharmacist,” he says.
closer to his family. He hopes to one day move into a managerial as well as business ownership role. “I feel that would give me the freedom to practice in a way that would be the most beneficial,” he says. “It’s a unique avenue for pharmacy – to run your business and optimize patient care at the same time.”
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bcpharmacy.ca
Pharmacist - full-time Currently seeking a full-time pharmacist with at least three years’ experience. Email only; no phone calls. Please send resume to info@pharmasaveabby.com. Pharmacist - part-time Garden Park Pharmacy is a long-established, friendly community pharmacy seeking a pharmacy manager, pharmacist and pharmacy assistants to join our company. Abbotsford is about a 45-minute drive from Vancouver. We offer competitive wages. No Sunday, Saturday, statutory holidays or evenings. All experience levels and new graduates are welcome. Please send resume to alanchoi5588@yahoo.com, fax 604.746.2825 or call 604.859.3300. BURNABY Pharmacist - part-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any in-store events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca or call 780.341.4955. Pharmacist - part-time We are looking for a strong commitment to customer service and a highly organized individual with excellent communication skills. Requirements: commitment to high quality of patient care and customer service, efficient in the WinRx system (essential) and Italian, Mandarin or Cantonese fluency (essential). New grads welcome. Please send resume to Masoud Majlesi, Pharmacy Manager, at capitolhill@ remedysrx.ca or call 604.299.9255.
Pharmacist - part-time Looking to hire a permanent part-time pharmacist for an independent pharmacy in Burnaby. Potential to lead to a full-time position. Hours of operation are Mon-Fri 10-6. Knowledge of WinRx is preferred. Must be able to quickly and accurately dispense medications, provide medication reviews and adequately assess for interactions. Applicant must be a licensed pharmacist in good standing with the College of Pharmacists of BC. Wages will be competitive and based on experience. Please send resume to rahim_2002@yahoo.com. CHASE RIVER Pharmacist - full-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any in-store events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. COURTNEY Pharmacist - part-time London Drugs has a part-time opportunity in Courtney. Join a clinical and patient-focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counseling booths and counseling rooms. Competitive salary and compensation packages, scheduled meal breaks and opportunities to advance to roles such as travel medicine, long term care, pharmacy management, CDE, injection pharmacist and patient care pharmacists. Please send resume to Shawn Sangha, pharmacy operations panager, at ssangha@ londondrugs.com. CRANBROOK Pharmacist - full-time Peoples Pharmacy #388, the outpatient pharmacy for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook, BC is currently seeking a full-time staff pharmacist. Our pharmacy specializes in long-term care, BC renal program, mental health, addiction services, immunization, sterile compounding, pain and wound care and hormone consulting. Please send resume to peoplespharmacy@telus.net, fax 250.420.4135 or call 250.420.4133. DAWSON CREEK Pharmacist - full-time Key responsibilities of a SDM Pharmacist include checking prescriptions for accuracy, counseling on prescriptions medications, OTC counseling, health management consulting, participation in SDM programs including cognitive/enhanced
services as these programs may evolve over time and as required by the business, collaboration with pharmacy assistant to accurately dispense prescription medications. Qualifications: Bachelor of Pharmacy, license to practice in the province seeking employment, superior interpersonal skills, strong verbal and written communication skills, commitment to providing exceptional customer service, computer proficiency. Work hours: Flex schedule – some weekends and evenings. Additional position details: This is a full-time, one-year contract. Please send resume to asdm216@shoppersdrugmart.ca, fax 250.782.5593 or call 250.782.5903. DELTA Pharmacist - full-time We are looking for full-time pharmacists for our Lower Mainland pharmacies. Experience with WinRX/Kroll and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.) are necessary. The successful applicant is required to have at least one year of experience working in a community pharmacy and to be injection certified. Pharmacists must also have a good working knowledge of Pharmacare and third party billing policies, medication reviews, and experience with blister packing. Pharmacists must be strong communicators, clinically oriented, and willing to further their pharmacy practice and patient-centered care. Wages start at $37/hour. Full medical and dental benefits are provided after a trial period of three months. Please send resume and cover letter to imran@wescanapharmacy.com. Pharmacist - part-time A growing independent new pharmacy specializing in patient-centered care. We do dispense methadone but are not your typical methadone pharmacy. Known for our outstandingly efficient operations and loyal patient population, we have created a great environment to work and thrive. Seeking a pharmacist who is highly motivated, with a strong work ethic, strong customer service skills, good communication and leadership skills, ability to work as a member of a dynamic and energetic team, and most importantly willingness to actively participate in patients’ healthcare outcomes. Position is a permanent part-time leading to full-time. We offer stability, competitive pay structure and a great benefits package. We pride ourselves on our dedication to our employees and interest in long term relationships. Please send resume to drimrantejani@gmail.com. FORT MCMURRAY Pharmacist - part-time Two permanent part-time positions available. Overwaitea Food Group, one of Western Canada’s leading food and consumer-goods retailer, operates more than 100 pharmacies in BC and Alberta under the following banners: Save On Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Coopers Foods, Urban Fare and Overwaitea Pharmacy. We provide a very professional pharmacy practice environment and are committed to: challenging and growing our staff, caring for people, healthy living for our shoppers and patients, innovation and investing in our future. Join the Overwaitea Food Group and make your career prescription complete! Please send resume to Denise Nilsen, Regional Manager, Pharmacy Operations at denise_nilsen @owfg.com.
bcpharmacy.ca
HOPE Pharmacist - part-time Currently looking for a part-time pharmacist. Must have excellent customer service and organizational skills. Please send resume to hopepha@yahoo.ca. KAMLOOPS Pharmacist - part-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any in-store events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. Pharmacist - part-time Manshadi Pharmacy is looking to hire a part-time motivated pharmacist to work in a well-established independent retail pharmacy. Experience working in a busy pharmacy is a requirement. We specialize in diabetic care, compounding and home health care products. Great team that supports our pharmacist. We prefer a long-term commitment. Kamloops is a great place to be. We are close to two ski hills, Sun Peaks and Harper Mountain, and dozens of nearby lakes. Good community to raise a family with all needed amenities. Please send resume to Missagh Manshadi, Pharmacist/owner at missagh@manshadipharmacy.com, online at manshadipharmacy.com, fax 1.250.434.2527 or call 1.250.574.0111. LANGLEY Pharmacist - full-time We are looking for a staff pharmacist to join a network of Remedy'sRx pharmacies. This is an ideal role for a new graduate or someone looking for a diversity of work experience and/or the desire to advance their career. Initially, the position will include shifts at two of our pharmacies located close to one another in Langley. It could lead to a full-time management role at one of the locations in the near future. There will be no shifts later than 6pm on weekdays and reduced hours on weekends too. We offer a competitive wage and benefits package. Please send resume and brief cover letter to justin@remedysrxsp.ca. Pharmacist - part-time Co-op Pharmacy in Langley is accepting applications for a part-time pharmacist. We provide an excellent pharmacy practice environment with personal growth and career development opportunities. We offer an attractive compensation and benefits package. If you are highly motivated to provide excellent pharmacy care and customer service, please send resume to pharmacymgr@otter-coop.com or fax 604.856.3101.
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CAREER LISTINGS
MAPLE RIDGE Pharmacist - full-time, part-time, relief We are looking for a full-time/part-time pharmacist for a small independent compounding pharmacy in the Lower Mainland. Experience with WinRx preferred but will train right candidate. Must be injection certified, authorized to dispense Methadone, good knowledge of PharmaCare and third party billing, clinically oriented, enjoy doing medication reviews, strong verbal and written communication as well as organizational skills, able to perform in a fast-paced environment, must be flexible and a team player, and be businessminded with a patient-focused attitude. This is an ideal position for someone looking to further their knowledge of pharmacy and grow with a company. Above average compensation and benefits. Please send resume to alouettepharmacy@gmail.com. NAKUSP Pharmacy manager - full-time Pharmacist or pharmacy manager position available in picturesque Nakusp. Try a change of pace in this beautiful and relaxed West Kootenay town located only 2.5 hours from the Okanagan. Enjoy skiing, hiking, fishing and the famous hot springs in this spectacular unspoiled lakeside paradise. Talk about job satisfaction. Come practice in a community which really appreciates its pharmacists. Work as an integral part of the health-care team, where you get the support you need to practice patient-oriented pharmaceutical care. You control your schedule and vacation (no evenings, Sundays or holidays). Competitive wages and benefits. Please send resume to pp321@pdmstores.com, fax 250.265.2218 or call 250.265.2228.
Pharmacist - part-time London Drugs has a part-time opportunity in Nanaimo. Join a clinical and patient-focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counseling booths and counseling rooms. Competitive salary and compensation packages, scheduled meal breaks and opportunities to advance to roles such as travel medicine, long term care, pharmacy management, CDE, injection pharmacist and patient care pharmacists. Please send resume to Shawn Sangha, Pharmacy Operations Manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com. NORTH VANCOUVER Pharmacist - full-time, part-time We require part-time or full-time pharmacist for busy independent North Vancouver Pharmacy. If you are looking for a great work environment with a strong clinical role coupled with dispensing, inter-disciplinary collaborative focus, competitive pay and consistent enjoyable work, please send resume to nvpharmacy1@gmail.com.
Pharmacist - full-time Overwaitea Food Group, one of Western Canada's leading food and consumer-goods retailer, operates more than 110 pharmacies in
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PENTICTON Pharmacist - full-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any instore events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@ rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. Pharmacist - full-time, part-time
NANAIMO
PARKSVILLE
BC and Alberta under the following banners: Save On Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Urban Fare and Overwaitea Pharmacy. We provide a very professional pharmacy practice environment and are committed to: challenging and growing our staff, caring for people, healthy living for our shoppers and patients, innovation and investing in our future. Join the Overwaitea Food Group and make your career prescription complete! Please send resume to Sammy Lee, B.Sc. (Pharm), R.Ph., Regional Manager, Pharmacy Operations at sammy_lee @owfg.com.
Become part of a team that has built a business where our customers feel like friends and family. Enjoy practicing in a professional, yet laid back setting while taking a lead role in continuing to grow clinical services. We are open seven days a week but closed evenings and major holidays. A total of 27 hours per week with potential for full-time. Please send resume to Tara Kamann, Owner pharmacist at tara@riversidepharmasave. com, online at riversidepharmasave.com, fax 250.493.5587 or call 250.535.1348. PORT HARDY Pharmacy manager - full-time Reporting to the Regional Pharmacy Director, the Pharmacy Manager is responsible for managing the pharmacy operations according to company guidelines, professional standards, all applicable provincial and federal laws and regulations and the provision of patient-focused services. Responsible for maintaining a cohesive working relationship with the staff. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. PORT MCNEILL Pharmacist - full-time Looking for a pharmacist to work with a great team in a newly renovated, spacious pharmacy and dispensary. Please send resume to Ron Downey, Owner at rwdowney@telus.net.
bcpharmacy.ca
POWELL RIVER Pharmacist - full-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any instore events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@ rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. PRINCE GEORGE Pharmacy manager - full-time Reporting to the Regional Pharmacy Director, the Pharmacy Manager is responsible for managing the pharmacy operations according to company guidelines, professional standards, all applicable provincial and federal laws and regulations and the provision of patient focused services. Responsible for maintaining a cohesive working relationship with the staff. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. Pharmacist - part-time Overwaitea Food Group, one of Western Canada’s leading food and consumer-goods retailer, operates more than 100 pharmacies in BC and Alberta under the following banners: Save On Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Coopers Foods, Urban Fare and Overwaitea Pharmacy. We provide a very professional pharmacy practice environment and are committed to: challenging and growing our staff, caring for people, healthy living for our shoppers and patients, innovation and investing in our future. Join the Overwaitea Food Group and make your career prescription complete! Part-time, permanent (32-40 hrs/wk) pharmacist position available in Prince George. Starting rate is $47.20. For more information on career opportunities, please send resume to Livia Chan, Regional Manager, Pharmacy Operations at livia_ chan @owfg.com. QUALICUM BEACH Pharmacist - full-time Pharmasave Qualicum Beach is looking for a highly motivated pharmacist to join our team. We are a unique community-based pharmacy that provides services such as specialty compounding, travel health consultations and diabetes education. The successful applicant must have the following qualifications: BC pharmacist license, must have excellent customer service skills, be able to multitask and work in a fastpaced setting, must be able to supervise and have good decision making skills, have certifications for methadone and injections, be comfortable
doing medication reviews. We offer competitive wage and benefits. Please send resume and cover letter to Briana Barker, Pharmacist/Owner, at briana@qualicumpharmasave.com, online at qualicumpharmasave.com, fax 250.752.3479 or call 250.752.3421.
inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@ rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. VANCOUVER
pharmacist and patient-care pharmacists. Please send resume to Shawn Sangha, Pharmacy Operations Manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com.
Pharmacy manager - full-time
VICTORIA Pharmacy manager - full-time
SOUTH SURREY/WHITE ROCK
Private pharmacy in Vancouver looking for an enthusiastic and experienced pharmacist to become a business partner and work as the pharmacy manager. The candidate must be energetic, friendly and patient-focused. Capable of enhancing operational efficiency, business value and have the ability to manage day-to-day pharmacy operations independently. Also, must comply with the provincial/federal pharmaceutical regulations at all times. A minimum of two years of experience in retail pharmacy, preferably as pharmacy manager, is required. Please email your resume and a letter explaining why you think you would be ideal for this opportunity. Please send resume to pharmacy1601@gmail.com.
Pharmacy manager - full-time
Pharmacist - full-time
Our Pharmasave in the South Surrey/White Rock area is currently looking for an experienced full-time pharmacy manager/pharmacist. The ideal candidate will have injection training, knowledge of Kroll and the desire to work in a patient-centered practice. Ability to communicate effectively with physicians and other health-care providers is a must. If you are interested in being a part of our pharmacy team, please send resume to MyPharmasave@telus.net or fax 604.677.5179.
Full-time community pharmacist position in East Vancouver. Punjabi/Hindi speaking is an asset. Must be familiar with Kroll and have at least two years’ experience. Please send resume to pdhillon1@me.com.
SALMON ARM Pharmacist - part-time Part-time staff pharmacist needed for three days per week in a busy pharmacy in downtown Salmon Arm. No evenings or Sunday shifts. Focus on pharmacy services and injection services is required. Previous compounding experience is preferred. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Please send resume and cover letter to Linda Gutenberg, Director of Pharmacy, at lgutenberg@forewest.ca or call 604.315.3273.
Pharmacist - part-time, relief Pharmasave located in South Surrey is looking for a part-time pharmacist. Kroll experience is mandatory. Please send resume to pharmasave021@shaw.ca, fax 604.385.1177 or call 604.385.1175. SURREY Pharmacy manager - full-time We are looking for a full-time pharmacy manager in Surrey. The person must possess at least two years' experience with Kroll. Must have adequate knowledge for medication reviews, blister packing, third party and PharmaCare billing. Must be fluent in English and Punjabi. Qualified and trained in injecting flu shots, with experience in methadone dispensing. Competitive salary. Please send resume and cover letter to pharmacy177@gmail.com. Pharmacist - part-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any instore events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual
Pharmacist - full-time Macdonald Prescriptions Ltd is accepting applications for a full-time registered technician or pharmacist to manage our compounding lab. This is a great opportunity for the right person to join a family run business and team in a long-established and respected Vancouver business. Please send resume to vince@macdonaldsrx.com. Pharmacist - part-time Part-time 'Clinical' pharmacist position available, experienced in retail and residential home care pharmacy, exceptional communication and organization skills, familiar with Telus RxA or RxT program, and able to work productively as a member of a dynamic team. Please send resume to ymm@yyoung.com or fax 604.630.1001. VANDERHOOF Pharmacy manager - full-time Reporting to the Regional Pharmacy Director, the Pharmacy Manager is responsible for managing the pharmacy operations according to company guidelines, professional standards, all applicable provincial and federal laws and regulations and the provision of patient focused services. Responsible for maintaining a cohesive working relationship with the staff. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. VERNON Pharmacist - part-time London Drugs has a part-time opportunity in Vernon. Join a clinical and patient-focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counseling booths and counseling rooms. Competitive salary and compensation packages, scheduled meal breaks and opportunities to advance to roles such as travel medicine, long term care, pharmacy management, CDE, injection
bcpharmacy.ca
We are opening a new location in Victoria, BC! Medical Pharmacies is comprised of committed individuals, each making a positive impact on the well-being of our customers. Our commitment to you: Providing a safe, secure and supportive environment, strategies that stimulate job satisfaction, professional growth and development, work schedules that allow for a healthy and fulfilling work-life balance, providing the tools, training and resources necessary to achieve success, continuous improvement, innovation and investment in technology, sustaining and strengthening partnerships with the entire health care team. Please send resume to Sonia.Fiorini@medicalpharmacies.com or online at medicalpharmacies.com. Pharmacist - full-time Are you looking for an opportunity with an established independent pharmacy chain that is looking to grow and expand its focus on patient care, and clinical specialization. We take patient follow-up to a whole new level. We are looking for energetic pharmacists who want to practice their full scope of clinical skills and help us bring top-notch health care to our customers. Heart Pharmacy IDA owned by Naz Rayani are looking for an engaged, clinically-oriented and outgoing full-time pharmacist to work at our unique community pharmacies. Please send resume to jobs@victoriapharmacy.com. Pharmacist - full-time Medical Pharmacies Group Ltd. is seeking a combined role as staff and clinical consultant pharmacist. We specialize in providing pharmacy services to retirement homes and long-term care facilities. The pharmacist is responsible for participating in dispensing prescriptions, including computer entry, triage of new orders, collation of data and clinical reviews. Participates in multidisciplinary care and makes recommendation to care providers. The consultant is required to build and maintain excellent customer relations. Applicant must be able to travel to various locations on Vancouver Island. Pharmacists with long-term care experience are highly preferred. Geriatric certification is an asset. Please send resume and cover letter to Sonia.Fiorini@ medicalpharmacies.com. Pharmacist - full-time, part-time, relief Attractive opportunity for a full-time, parttime or relief pharmacists in Victoria. Excellent wages, health benefits, great hours in a friendly neighborhood pharmacy. Please send resume to har@sparklit.com or call 250.818.1468.
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MCBRIDE - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Regan Ready, Pharmacy Operations Manager at regan@teamrx.net or DonaIlida@telus.net or call toll-free 1.855.99.REGAN.
PHARMACY TECHNICIANS AND ASSISTANTS For the full listings of pharmacy technician and assistant positions visit the Pharmacy Technician Society of BC website at ptsbc.ca
MIDWAY - Pharmacy technician - part-time - Please send resume to Cris Bennett, Pharmacy manager/ owner at boundarypharmacy@gmail.com, fax 250.449.2867 or call 250.449.2866.
BARRIERE - Pharmacy technician - full-time – Please send resume to Regan Ready, Pharmacist/Pharmacy Operations Manager, at regan@teamrx.net or DonaIlida@telus.net or call toll-free 1.855.99.REGAN.
NANAIMO - Pharmacy technician - full-time, parttime - Please send resume to Kevin Cox, Pharmacist/ manager at phr01525@loblaw.ca, fax 250.390.5732 or call 250.390.5730.
BURNABY - Pharmacy assistant - full-time – Please send resume to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com. CLEARWATER - Pharmacy technician - full-time, part-time - Please send resume to ps231@telus.net, fax 250.674.0056 or call 250.674.0059. CRANBROOK - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to peoplespharmacy@telus.net, fax 250.420.4135 or call 250.420.4133.
PENTICTON - Pharmacy assistant - part-time - Please send resume to Tara Kamann, Owner pharmacist at tara@riversidepharmasave.com, online at riversidepharmasave.com or call 250.493.5533. PORT COQUITLAM - Pharmacy assistant - full-time, part-time - Please send resume to nazshah2011@gmail. com, fax 604.944.5548 or call 604.944.5544.
DEASE LAKE - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to Alan Williamson, Owner at ps214@shaw.ca.
SICAMOUS - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Regan Ready, Pharmacy Operations Manager at regan@teamrx.net or DonaIlida@telus.net or call toll-free 1.855.99.REGAN.
DELTA - Pharmacy assistant - full-time - Please send resume to imran@wescanapharmacy.com. GOLD RIVER - Pharmacy technician - part-time Please send resume to Colleen, Owner at collhogg@ hotmail.com, fax 250.285.3375 or call 250.285.2275.
SIDNEY - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Pharmacy manager at rx205@ forewest.ca, fax 250.656.2235 or call 250.656.1148.
HUDSON HOPE - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Alan Williamson, Owner at ps214@shaw.ca. KAMLOOPS - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Missagh Manshadi, Owner/Pharmacist at missagh@manshadipharmacy.com, online at manshadipharmacy.com, fax 250.434.2527 or call 250.574.0111. KELOWNA - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Merrie-Jean.Mulhern@remedysrxsp.ca. KELOWNA - Pharmacy assistant - full-time - Please send resume to M.J., Administration Manager at Merrie-Jean.Mulhern@remedysrxsp.ca.
SIDNEY - Pharmacy assistant - part-time - Please send resume to Pharmacy manager at rx205@forewest.ca, fax 250.656.2235 or call 250.656.1148. SURREY - Pharmacy assistant - full-time - Please send resume and cover letter to pharmasave167@gmail. com. VALEMOUNT - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to Regan Ready, Pharmacy Operations Manager at regan@teamrx.net or DonaIlida@telus.net or call toll-free 1.855.99.REGAN. VANCOUVER - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to hr@nazwellness.com or fax 604.608.3230.
LANGLEY - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to hr@nazpharmacy.com or fax 604.608.3230.
VANCOUVER - Pharmacy technician - part-time Please send resume to vince@macdonaldsrx.com.
LANGLEY - Pharmacy assistant - part-time - Please send resume to pharmacymgr@otter-coop.com or fax 604.856.3101. LOGAN LAKE - Pharmacy technician - full-time – Please send resume to Regan Ready, Pharmacy Operations Manager at regan@teamrx.net or DonaIlida@telus.net or call toll-free 1.855.99.REGAN.
VANCOUVER - Pharmacy technician - part-time Please send resume to vince@macdonaldsrx.com. VANCOUVER - Pharmacy assistant - full-time, parttime - Please send resumes to nadjafov@gmail.com. VANCOUVER - Pharmacy assistant - full-time, parttime - Please send resume to mjsrxmanager@gmail. com.
MAPLE RIDGE - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to hr@nazwellness.com or fax 604.608.3230.
VANCOUVER - Pharmacy assistant - part-time Please send resume to albertopharmacy@gmail.com.
MAPLE RIDGE - Pharmacy assistant - part-time Please send resume to alouettepharmacy@gmail.com or fax 604.467.3714. MAPLE RIDGE - Pharmacy assistant - part-time Please send resume to Narmin Khimji, Manager at narminkhimji@gmail.com or call 604.467.0753.
NEW AIYANSH - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to Alan Williamson, Owner at ps214alan@shaw.ca or call 604.926.5331.
VICTORIA - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to jobs@victoriapharmacy.com. VICTORIA - Pharmacy technician - full-time - Please send resume to Sonia.fiorini@medicalpharmacies.com or online at medicalpharmacies.com.
MASSET - Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to Alan Williamson, Owner at ps214@shaw.ca.
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bcpharmacy.ca
OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS BC Pharmacist - full-time, part-time Sobeys National Pharmacy Group currently has career opportunities for: Coquitlam, Fort St. John, Prince Rupert. We offer a full compensation and benefits package with industry-leading components. We are a company committed to both pharmaceutical care and customer care. If you would like to pursue this opportunity further, please apply via our website at sobeyscareers.ca. Pharmacist - part-time Advance your pharmacy career with the Overwaitea Food Group, a Canadian-owned company that operates under multiple banners: Save-On-Foods, Coopers Foods, Overwaitea Foods, PriceSmart Foods, and Urban Fare. With over 115 pharmacies in over 50 communities across BC and Alberta, and growing into Saskatchewan and Manitoba, our pharmacy team members share a passion for healthy living and quality patient-centered care. We offer an attractive compensation package and our extensive benefits package is one of the industries finest. We have positions available in Parksville, Prince George, Quesnel, Grand Forks, Fernie, Fort Nelson, Prince Rupert and Campbell River. Please send resume to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com. Pharmacy technician - full-time Please send resume to jason.tran@costco.com or call 604.444.9347. Pharmacy technician - part-time Please apply online at sobeyscareers.ca. Pharmacy assistant - part-time Please apply online at sobeyscareers.ca. LOWER MAINLAND Pharmacist - full-time Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any in-store events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955. Pharmacist - part-time London Drugs has a part-time opportunity in the Lower Mainland. Join a clinical and patient-focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counseling booths and counseling rooms. Competitive salary and compensation packages, scheduled meal breaks and opportunities to advance to roles such as travel medicine, long term care, pharmacy management, CDE, injection pharmacist and patient care pharmacists. Please send resume to Shawn Sangha, Pharmacy Operations Manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com.
VANCOUVER ISLAND Pharmacist - full-time, part-time, relief Demonstrate strong sales ability, leadership, energy, passion and communication skills as we strive to be recognized as the Canadian leader in pharmacy health care. Consult with patients to maximize Rx and OTC sales. Provide professional advice and applicable dialogue with patients on prescription and OTC products to provide excellent customer service. Be aware of any in-store events and support these events within the store. Supervise pharmacy technicians. Ensure company standard operating procedures, policies, professional standards and applicable laws and regulations are followed. Implement proper pricing and receiving procedures to minimize shrinkage. Maintain the dispensary inventory level within the prescribed guidelines through accurate perpetual inventory records. Please send resume to JAlati@rexall.ca, fax 1.877.781.6072 or call 780.341.4955.
OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE BC ALBERTA Pharmacist - full-time Sobeys National Pharmacy Group currently has career opportunities for Edmonton-based Alberta (float - term position). We offer a full compensation and benefits package with industry-leading components. We are a company committed to both pharmaceutical care and customer care. If you would like to pursue this opportunity further, please apply via our website at sobeyscareers.ca. Pharmacist - full-time The Overwaitea Food Group (OFG) proudly provides professional, patient-centered care through more than 80 pharmacies across BC and Alberta. We are a leading-edge food and consumer goods retailer known for our belief that well-being is about prevention, not just intervention. And thanks to the breadth and depth of our well-established health related offerings, our pharmacists are in a unique position to counsel clients about nutrition and wellness. At OFG, we're committed to fostering a work environment that encourages personal growth, training and career opportunities and provides continuous learning. We offer an attractive compensation package and our extensive benefits package for full-time pharmacists is one of the industry’s finest. Learn more about what we have to offer. Please send resume to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com. Pharmacy assistant - part-time Please send resume to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com. GRAND PRAIRIE, AB Pharmacy assistant – part-time Please send resume to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com. MANITOBA Pharmacist - full-time Advance your pharmacy career with Save-On-Foods. With over 100+ pharmacies in over 50+ communities across BC and Alberta, and growing in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, our pharmacy team members share a passion for healthy living and quality patient-centered care. Our pharmacy team members are made up of hardworking people who thrive in a demanding and changing environment and are deeply committed to their patients. We offer: Friendly, professional and
supportive work environments, flexibility, stability and great compensation packages, opportunities to develop your leadership skills, expand your scope of practice and advance your career. Pharmacist positions available in: Winnipeg, Manitoba. For more information on career opportunities, please send resume to Livia Chan, Regional Manager, Pharmacy Operations at livia_chan@owfg.com. SASKATCHEWAN
monthly fee. Unlike other banners, Peoples Drug Mart does not charge a percentage of sales. Our belief is that the profits from your hard work should stay in your business. With Peoples, you get the best of both worlds, outstanding support and services, and the ability to maintain your profits. If you are interested in purchasing, selling or opening a new pharmacy, please contact Frank Cucca toll free 1.877.450.6006, ext 18 or 604.619.4846 or frankc@pdmstores.com.
Pharmacist - full-time
ABBOTSFORD - pharmacy for sale/partnership
Sobeys National Pharmacy Group currently has career opportunities for: Regina-based Saskatchewan float. We offer a full compensation and benefits package with industry-leading components. We are a company committed to both pharmaceutical care and customer care. If you would like to pursue this opportunity further, please apply via our website at sobeyscareers.ca.
A pharmacy in Abbotsford is seeking a partner or an Arabic speaking pharmacist to take over. Average Rx count is 24/day for the year 2015. The Rx count is 52/ day now. Asking price is 300K. Thank you and good luck. Please email ipg_r.ph@hotmail.com.
Pharmacist - full-time Advance your pharmacy career with Save-On-Foods. With over 100+ pharmacies in over 50+ communities across BC and Alberta, and growing in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, our pharmacy team members share a passion for healthy living and quality patientcentered care. Our pharmacy team members are made up of hardworking people who thrive in a demanding and changing environment and are deeply committed to their patients. We offer: Friendly, professional and supportive work environments, flexibility, stability and great compensation packages, opportunities to develop your leadership skills, expand your scope of practice and advance your career. Pharmacist positions available in: Regina & Yorkton, Saskatchewan. For more information on career opportunities, please send resume to Livia Chan, Regional Manager, Pharmacy Operations at livia_chan@owfg.com. WINNIPEG Pharmacist - full-time, relief Current positions available, including relief position in Winnipeg. We offer a full compensation and benefits package with industry-leading components. We are a company committed to both pharmaceutical care and customer care. If you would like to pursue this opportunity further, please apply via our website at sobeyscareers.ca.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Are you thinking of selling your pharmacy? Overwaitea Food Group may be interested. If you would like more information, please contact pharmacybuyer1@gmail.com. Forewest Holdings partners with local pharmacists and currently owns 34 Pharmasave locations. We have been partnering with local pharmacists for more than 30 years. We are currently looking for opportunities to acquire more community pharmacies in BC and Alberta. Please contact us if you are ready to sell all or part of your store. Forewest is also always looking for pharmacists who would like to become part owners of a pharmacy. Under the Forewest program you become a shareholder of your store and receive your full pro-rata share of its income in addition to your normal salary. We have several ownership opportunities available at this time. Please contact Don Fraser, CEO and president, at dfraser@ forewest.ca or 604.788.9315.
KAMLOOPS - pharmacy for sale Owner moving out. Well-established business with growth opportunity for a young business-oriented pharmacist(s). Contact pharmasaveforsale@gmail.com. RICHMOND - pharmacy for sale This pharmacy has been in business for 13 years and recently renovated with new counters and shelving units. It has great strategic potential for growth of business. Please contact richmondmcp@gmail.com. SURREY - pharmacy for sale The pharmacy is patient care-focused with a wellestablished methadone clientele in place. If you would like to get more information please contact nancycooper59@hotmail.com. UCLUELET - pharmacy for sale Owner retiring. Well-established business with growth opportunity for young, entrepreneurial pharmacist(s). Flexibility with purchase agreement and hours worked. Please contact barry’s@unipharm.com or 250.726.4342. VANCOUVER – pharmacy manager and business partnership opportunity Private pharmacy in Vancouver looking for an enthusiastic and experienced pharmacist to become a business partner and work as the pharmacy manager. The candidate must be energetic, friendly, patientfocused, capable of enhancing operational efficiency and business value and have the ability to manage day-to-day pharmacy operations independently. Also, must comply with the provincial/federal pharmaceutical regulations at all times. A minimum of two years of experience in retail pharmacy, preferably as pharmacy manager, is required. Please email your resume and a letter explaining why you think you would be ideal for this opportunity to pharmacy1601@ gmail.com. Only qualified applicants will be contacted.
Peoples Drug Mart is an established and proven pharmacy banner that will make your pharmacy business more successful and profitable. We provide outstanding marketing support and services for a low
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Thank you to this year’s sponsors! Partner
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pharmacy
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Exhibitors: Adams Cambie Insurance Services Ltd., College of Pharmacists of British Columbia, CWB Maxium Financial, Green Shield Canada, Ideal Protein, InnoviCares, JAMP Pharma, Johnstones Benefits, Kohl and Frisch, Lifescan, McKesson Canada Automation, Merck, Pacific Blue Cross, PCCA, PENDOPHARM, Pfizer Canada Inc., Roxon medi-tech, Scotiabank, Sanofi Pasteur, Stallergenes, Thorne Research, Tom Harris Cellular, Valeant Canada, Wynward Insurance Group, Xenex Laboratories Inc.