Parkinson’s Disease and Daytime Sleepiness • Conference Preview • Pharmacist Awareness Month
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Pharmacy Day 2015
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A voice for community pharmacy
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THE TABLET
APR/MAY 2015
Editor in Chief Angie Gaddy 604.269.2863, angie.gaddy@bcpharmacy.ca
|
VOLUME 24. NO. 2
contents
Senior Editor Elise Steeves 604.269.2866, elise.steeves@bcpharmacy.ca Advertising Sales Shannon Ward, OnTrack Media 604.639.7763, tablet@ontrackco.com The Tablet is published by the BCPhA. Views expressed herein KV UV[ ULJLZZHYPS` YLĂ…LJ[ [OVZL VM [OL (ZZVJPH[PVU *VU[YPI\[LK material is not guaranteed space and may be edited for brevity, clarity and content.
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16 Pharmacy Day
20 BCPhA Conference 2015
Publication agreement #40810576
On the cover: BCPhA Student Ambassadors Andrea Silver, Jason Alessio and Kevin Sin took part in Pharmacy Day at the legislature.
Features
Columns
Regulars
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Pharmacist Awareness Month #MoreThanPills campaign
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President’s Message Finding your pharmacy niche
5
14
Genome Project Update Pharmacies selected
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CEO’s Message Is there a price too big to pay for lower generic drug costs?
Meet Pharmacist Greg Becotte Enderby Pharmacy and Wellness Centre
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DPIC Parkinson’s Disease and daytime sleepiness
26
Career Listings Find a job in pharmacy
16
On the Cover:
Pharmacy Day 2015
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Using pharmacists’ skills to achieve better health care
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20
BCPhA Annual Conference 2015 Sessions and schedule
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Integration Activities UBC’s PharmD Entry-to-Practice program
Member Services Members helping members Pharmacy Practice Support A new era of support for clinical pharmacy services
Got a suggestion for an article in The Tablet? Email info@bcpharmacy.ca with your story ideas.
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Apr/May 2015
A voice for community pharmacy
THE TABLET
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SMALL TALK
In the news Bylaw changes now available for comment Over the past year, the College of Pharmacists of BC has been working to update language in the Health Professions Act and the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act bylaws. Draft bylaws with changes were passed at a February 20, 2015, College Board meeting. The BCPhA and members were part of discussions with the College and brought forward concerns and suggestions on these recent bylaw changes. The draft bylaws are now posted online for public comment, which is open until May 28, 2015. Comments can be submitted online, via email or through regular mail to the College or Ministry of Health. The BCPhA has submitted comments on the draft bylaws prior to the February 20 College Board meeting. We will also make a detailed submission during the public comment period.
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Apr/May 2015
BCPhA Board elections
The BCPhA on Twitter
Nominations for three positions on the BCPhA Board of Directors closed on March 15, 2015, with a total of seven candidates nominated for election. Biographies of the nominees are now available on the members' side of the BCPhA website under About Us - Board of Directors - Board Elections.
In March as part of Pharmacist Awareness Month, the BCPhA launched its brand new Twitter account: @bc_pharmacy.
All BCPhA members were sent a letter and ballot papers in March. The deadline for returning them by mail or in person to the BCPhA offices is April 15, 2015, by 4:30pm. We look forward to introducing you to the new Board members in the June/July issue of The Tablet.
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Throughout the month, the Association’s #MoreThanPills campaign highlighted that pharmacists are able deliver services that are “More than Pills” such as immunizations, warfarin management and the genome project. Members were profiled online in short video interviews available at www.bcpharmacy.ca/your-pharmacist. The #MoreThanPills hashtag will continue to be used throughout the year as we highlight a new pharmacist member each month. If you’re on social media, be sure to follow @bc_pharmacy for the latest updates on advocacy, pharmacy news and events.
MEET PHARMACIST GREG BECOTTE
Meet...Pharmacist Greg Becotte Through experience gained in an Ontario nurse practitioner clinic and a clinical pharmacy, Becotte focuses on patient-centered care with the goal of identifying, solving, and following up with drug therapy problems for all patients. He previously ran a pointof-care INR warfarin monitoring clinic for two years and plans to bring this service to his current practice in the near future. His other areas of interest include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic pain. In his off time, he enjoys downhill skiing, mountain biking, basketball, beaches, and music.
How would you spend your perfect day?
Along with 21 other pharmacy locations across the province, Becotte has also been selected to participate in the new "Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy" research project. This project focuses on using community pharmacists to collect patient saliva samples to test how an individual's DNA can impact medication selection and dosage.
My fellow University of Waterloo Pharmacy graduates, who are doing incredible things in our profession.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Greg Becotte is the pharmacy manager at Enderby Pharmacy and Wellness Centre, located in the small community of Enderby in the North Okanagan region of British Columbia. After graduating from the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy in 2011, he worked for two years in a clinical primary practice in Ontario before moving to BC to pursue a hybrid practice of clinical and community pharmacy. He joined Enderby Pharmacy and Wellness Centre in January 2014.
I was nominated by peers for the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s 2013 Collaborative Service Award, which showcases pharmacists who are practicing in innovative collaborative practices. What do you most value in your colleagues?
Some early morning spring skiing at Silver Star Mountain Resort near Vernon, following by an early-season afternoon mountain bike in the local Kalamalka Park, and a BBQ and socializing with friends in the evening. What is your most marked characteristic? Everybody knows me for how tall I am – 6'5" – so I stand out in a crowd. Who has been the greatest influence on you?
If you weren’t a pharmacist, what would you be? A ski bum in the winter and a bike addict in the summers. Why are you excited to be involved in the Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy project? During my time running an anticoagulation clinic, some patients had various issues with warfarin dosing, which resulted in labile INRs with conventional guideline-recommended dosing. Using genome science, these patients may have been able to avoid an increase in bleeding or stroke risk by accurately dosing their warfarin based on their genetic profile.
Their connection to the public in smalltown Enderby, many of whom they have known for 20 to 30 years.
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Apr/May 2015
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DAVID PAVAN
|
PRESIDENT
Finding your pharmacy niche
I hope everyone is ready for the BCPhA Annual Conference, which is just around the corner! This year’s event is being held from May 21 to 23 in Victoria. If you have not yet registered, there is still time to sign up and take advantage of everything the conference has to offer.
As pharmacy becomes more patient-centric and patients are asking more from their pharmacists, finding your niche will be an important factor in your success. Hopefully Meghan will stimulate your imagination and some new and exciting ideas will percolate to the surface.
Last year’s conference was a huge success and, in my opinion, the best one I have attended. I am looking forward to the guest speakers and educational sessions being offered this year. My personal favourite is the awards dinner, where we take the opportunity to recognize outstanding pharmacists who have made significant contributions to our profession.
There are so many different areas of focus in pharmacy that we hear about our members embracing – whether it is by offering travel medicine, anticoagulation management, specialty diabetes clinics, or many others.
The 2015 conference centers on the theme of “Stand Out. Brand yourself. Define your practice.” Many of the sessions will focus on ways you can differentiate yourself in an increasingly competitive marketplace and find your niche in the ever-evolving health-care environment. Keynote speaker Meghan Telpner is the perfect example of this. She’ll tell us how to establish your personal brand and how to “cultivate and sell your awesomeness.” Meghan is a Torontobased author, nutritionist, business consultant and director of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, who has managed to do just that – by building her brand around exactly who she is. She’ll also touch on how to develop an offering that has value for your desired customer base, build patient loyalty, and establish yourself as a leader in your field.
As much as this year’s theme is about standing apart from the competition, the conference is also the best time to network and learn from your pharmacy peers. Whether it is at the Thursday evening’s trade show and networking night, or while celebrating the recipients of the 2015 BCPhA Pharmacy Awards at the gala dinner on Friday, there will be lots of opportunities to get to know your colleagues and hear about the innovative work they are doing in their practice. As an added bonus, attendance at the conference qualifies as learning that can be applied to your Continuing Education (CEPlus) requirements. You can read more about this year’s sessions and speakers on page 20 of this issue. It is an exciting time in pharmacy as we are on the cusp of providing personalized medicine to our patients as well as adding additional patient care services such as INR monitoring. I am looking forward to seeing many of you in Victoria.
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GERALDINE VANCE
|
CEO
Is there a price too big to pay for lower generic drug costs?
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would not like to see the cost of medications be as low as possible. Whether you are a patient, a private benefits insurance company, or the Ministry of Health, bringing down drug costs is a shared objective. And Canada has had some considerable success in this area in recent years for a number of reasons. Many of the so-called “blockbuster” drugs have gone generic, bringing with that savings in the multi-millions of dollars and, through joint efforts, provincial governments have negotiated price reductions with the major manufacturers. In BC, government has gone a step further by regulating the price it will pay for generic medications. But the reality of the marketplace is such that the vast majority of manufacturers simply can’t provide their medications at this arbitrarily set price, and don’t. Last year, according to PharmaCare, more than 90 per cent of the generic medications PharmaCare paid for on behalf of patients exceeded the regulated price.
Pharmacists have long advocated for a widespread use of their services to improve medication adherence, reduce waste and bring down costs. In BC we are pleased to be working with Green Shield Canada on a program that uses pharmacist counseling of patients with cardiovascular risk factors to better manage their disease and cut medication costs. More of these types of programs would bring about millions of dollars in savings to payers, public and private.
“...these types of programs would bring about millions of dollars in savings to payers, public and private.”
Payers’ need to manage drug budgets is understandable. Despite all the bending of the cost curve, the number of prescriptions just keeps on going up. People still go to their doctors looking for the answer to their medical problems and most often that means prescription medications. So the volume of prescriptions is climbing – 70 million prescriptions filled in BC annually. And despite all of the cost cutting, the budget has and will continue to climb.
But despite these proven strategies the focus continues to be on squeezing every possible penny from the commodity price of the medications. In our view this is a shortsighted strategy that has significant risks for patients. There has been little public debate about the hidden price of all this cost-cutting. Politicians of all stripes gladly make statements about the millions of dollars they have saved by cutting deals with manufacturers. But no one is talking about the gambles that are being taken to achieve some of these savings. The BC Pharmacy Association has always supported payer objectives of managing prescription drug costs. We have never advocated directly on the issue of drug pricing; this is simply not (continued on page 8)
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Apr/May 2015
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GERALDINE VANCE
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CEO
our issue. But what we have advocated for is patient protection and when that is impacted by decisions payers are making to cut costs it is time we spoke up.
Welcome to the newest members of the BCPhA! Pharmacist (General) members:
Pharmacists know that for many patients switching their medication from one manufacturer’s product to another can cause serious health problems. And in many instances, not being able to provide a patient with their medication due to shortages puts them in harm’s way – what happens when a seizure medication is simply not available to a patient because the one drug that is covered is not available and there is no other option? Does this make the savings to the healthcare system worth it? What about the costs when the patient ends up at the ER or, at the very least, needs an appointment with their doctor to manage the resulting complications? While it may be easy to see the drug budget as a single line item on the ledger, we all pay for the total health-care budget no matter where the expenditure occurs. So as we have and will continue to say loudly and regularly, cost savings need to be carefully balanced against the risks of impacting patient health and safety. No amount of savings is worth even one patient ending up in an ER because their medication wasn’t available when that could have been avoided.
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Hassan Abd Elaal, Lilly Ann Aglubat, Shrief Ahmed, Hisham Al-Ahmad, Evangelia Angelinas, Oluwafunmike Bakare, Vikramjit Bawa, Sukhwinder Chakkal, Taehwan Choi, Kim Choo, Bowon Chung, Thomas Danforth, Dennis Fancy, Michael Farag, Mahtab Ghaneizadeh, Jane Glover, Sukhbir Gohal, Evelyn Groeneveld, Mary Guirece, Ya-Ting Carol Hou, Kenny Ip, Kimberly Jette, Roby Jose, Mariko Kazuta, Yackoub Khalil, Rubeena Khalpey, Antonious Khilla, Jungchul Kim, Hee Kyung Ko, Raman Kumar, Lori Lau, Sarah Lee, Sylvan Lee, Karen Lo, Lisa Luu, Ali Mahmoud, Douglas Malyuk, Satwinder Mann, Danielle Martens, Ali Reza Meghji, Mitra Moadebi, Azhar Omarjee, Chevy Anne Pabustan, Chintankumar Patel, Sanjaykumar Patel, Sulabh Patel, Majdolene Qasim, Jane Reid, Nitin Saini, Mariam Samaan, Jaspal Sandhu, Ian Sands, Mahreen Saqib, Jordan Schneider, Sejal Shah, Girishkumar Sharma, Joanne Shin, Maha Tawfik, Rapinder Toor, Bobbi Wahlstrom, Roberta Wong, Woon Bae Yang, Josephine Yee and Aamir Zafar.
Pharmacy (Corporate) members: Community Outreach Pharmacy, Fort Royal Pharmacy, Medicine Shoppe #148, Medicine Shoppe #149, Medicine Shoppe #239, Medicine Shoppe #361, Peoples Pharmacy #321, Peoples Pharmacy #384, Pharmasave #287 Sullivan Square, Pharmasave Health Centre #094, Revolution Pharmacy, Rx R Us Pharmacy, Rxsave Pharmacy #2, and Save-On-Foods Pharmacy #947 - Brooks Landing.
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CYRIL LOPEZ, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Members helping members
We often say, the BCPhA is not just the 14 staff members at the office; it’s the 3,061 pharmacists, 877 pharmacies and 656 student members. And as an association of members, it’s really nice to see that members always step up to help one another.
their time as speakers to share their successes and tribulations being IPGs themselves. A number of members also took the time to join in the evening's networking and exhibit event, where members from all walks connected and shared stories with one another.
For many years, pharmacist members have been helping student members by volunteering their time to mentor and provide advice at BCPhA events, such as the Speaker Series or Student Mentoring and Networking event. A number have volunteered throughout the years. Here's a list of just a few from recent events: Aaron Sihota, Allison Nourse, Bryce Wong, Christine Lee, Derek Desrosiers, John Shaske, Parkash Ragsdale, Shakeel Bhatti, and Suzanne Taylor.
In preparation for our upcoming BCPhA Annual Conference, members once again volunteered their time to provide support and guidance as mentors for our first annual conference presentations, which will be given by students, and hosted by our BCPhA Student Ambassadors Aaron Sihota, Adam Smylie, Andrea Silver, David Cai, Dawei Ji, Jaydee Puri, Jason Alessio, Kevin Sin, Renée Dagenais, and Sharni Sandhar. Alan Lowe is volunteering his time as the lead of this new conference program and mentors include Cheryl Paccheo, David Massaro, Elijah Ssemaluulu, Mona Kwong, and Shakeel Bhatti.
Recently, a number of members approached us with an idea of putting on an event to support the International Pharmacy Graduate (IPG) members. New immigrants already trained in pharmacy, or interested in pursuing the profession, often do not have access to many networks and support systems in place to guide them through their journey. Arriving in a new country can be hard enough, but to enter a professional career can be even more daunting. While there are a number of government programs that exist to support immigrants through their journey, they are not specific to pharmacy. So, we decided to form a partnership with the BACK in MOTION: Skills Connect for Immigrants Program to build a resume writing guide, as well as host a networking and careers evening for internationally educated professionals or students interested in pursuing careers as pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians, or other pharmacy-related fields. Our first annual event was sponsored by Simon Fraser University Surrey, and there were almost 100 attendees, exhibitors and volunteers at the event. We reached out to our members, and Shakeel Bhatti, Mohamed Hasanine, and Nadeem Zia volunteered
It’s this spirit of members helping members that is truly inspiring to see. What may sometimes seem like just a simple presentation by a seasoned pro can have a lasting impact on those who are listening. A simple conversation with those who have walked the path before you can turn out to be the best advice that you have ever received and lead you to a path that you never knew existed. And mentors themselves who are paying it forward also know that they learn just as much from their mentees about themselves and what the future holds for pharmacy.
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Apr/May 2015
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DRUG AND POISON INFORMATION CENTRE
Parkinson’s Disease and daytime sleepiness by Raymond Li, B.Sc. (Pharm.), M.Sc.
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and it's time to shed more light on Parkinson’s Disease and daytime sleepiness. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) affects more than 12,000 British Columbians and the prevalence is increasing as our population ages. Most PD patients report difficulty with their sleep that can be aggravated by PD drugs. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and “sleep attacks” with some drugs are associated with black box warnings and driving prohibitions. PD and sleep The regulation of sleep and arousal is complex and involves feedback mechanisms and neurotransmitters in various areas of the brain with the dopaminergic system being a key system involved in alertness/arousal. Disturbed sleep patterns are thought to result from loss of dopaminergic and other neurons in extra-striatal regions of the brainstem and elsewhere. Disordered sleep can occur at any stage of PD and sometimes precedes the onset of motor symptoms. In addition to the intrinsic effects of PD on sleep, nocturnal sleep can be disrupted by tremor, rigidity, and akinesia, interfering with repositioning; muscle contractions and cramps during sleep; restless legs and periodic limb movements; dyskinesias on awakening; REM sleep behaviour disorder; vivid dreams and hallucinations; nocturia; and disordered breathing. Dopaminergic treatment can improve nocturnal sleep by reducing motor symptoms or worsen it by increased awakenings and vivid dreams. Poor nocturnal sleep can contribute to EDS, but EDS can occur in PD patients who report sufficient nocturnal sleep. EDS is characterised by falling asleep during the day, often following an increasing sense of sleepiness. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, which scores the chances of dozing in eight everyday situations from 0 (never) to 3 (high), is often used to assess EDS. Scores >10 indicate excessive sleepiness, though lower cut-offs are sometimes used. EDS occurs in 30 to 60 per
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cent of PD patients, and the impact on quality of life for patients and caregivers is sometimes greater than that of motor symptoms. PD treatments, EDS and sleep attacks Dopaminergic drugs are thought to cause sedation by inhibition of the reticular activating system. Placebo-controlled studies have shown that dopaminergic treatments do cause sedation that increases with dose, but the degree of sedation is highly variable between patients. Sleep attacks first gained attention in 1999 when eight patients were reported to fall asleep while driving after starting pramipexole. Numerous case reports with other dopaminergic drugs, black box warnings from regulators, and studies of the frequency and risk factors followed. Terminology varies in the literature: sudden, irresistible sleep episodes are referred to as sudden onset of sleep (SOS), while some authors use “unintended sleep episodes” when SOS is preceded by warning signs or symptoms, and “sleep attacks” when there are no warning symptoms. Although the lack of warning signs has been debated, there is polysomnographic evidence that patients can go from wakefulness to sleep in less than 60 seconds. Further, some patients do not recognize warning signs or are unable to protect themselves in time. The reported prevalence of SOS or sleep attacks among PD patients in the literature is highly variable depending on the population and methodology, but is as high as 43 per cent for SOS, and 27 per cent for sleep attacks. SOS has been reported to occur while driving in about four to 28 per cent of PD patients. Although attempts have been made to quantify the risk of EDS or sleep attacks with dopaminergic drugs, EDS and SOS have also been reported to occur in PD patients not receiving dopaminergic treatment. Sleep disorders in PD are multifactorial and risk factors include age, duration and severity of disease.
Drug treatment of EDS
• Encourage good sleep hygiene and regular exercise.
Some patients may require treatment for EDS. Modafinil is the most studied treatment for EDS in PD, and meta-analyses of modafinil studies have reported improvement in Epworth Sleepiness scores in PD patients. There is sufficient evidence for the use of caffeine, amphetamine, methylphenidate, bupropion, or sodium oxybate. There is no evidence that any treatment reduces the occurrence of sleep attacks.
PD and driving: • Ask about falling asleep in inappropriate situations (e.g., while talking with someone, eating, or attending to work or household activities). This may help reveal patients at risk for falling asleep while driving. • Inform patients of the dangers of driving if they feel drowsy or if they have unwanted sleep episodes. • Refer patients to their physician for further screening and assessment. Motor, vision, cognitive, and psychiatric impairments in PD may require specific driving assessment. • Reducing dopaminergic doses, changing treatment, or alleviating other sleep problems may allow safe return to driving after a period of observation. • Be supportive during transitions from driving to not driving.
Tips for pharmacists Medication tips: • Up-titrate medications slowly. • Optimize PD treatment doses, dosage forms, and timing to minimize nocturnal sleep problems. • Be aware that other drugs (e.g., antidepressants, sedatives) can contribute to sleep problems. Counselling tips: • Ask patients about problems with sleep and sleepiness. Many PD patients may not spontaneously disclose sleep problems. • Educate patients and caregivers on warning signs of impending sleep, such as frequent yawning, blinking and eye tearing.
Reviewed by C. Laird Birmingham, MD, FRCP(C), MHSc References available on request; please email info@bcpharmacy.ca.
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Apr/May 2015
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DEREK DESROSIERS |
DIRECTOR, PHARMACY PRACTICE SUPPORT
A new era of support for pharmacist clinical services
As most of you are aware, the BCPhA and Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) are partnering with Green Shield Canada (GSC) to offer Pharmacist Health Coaching - Cardiovascular Risk Management to patients in BC and Ontario who have extended health coverage with GSC. Pharmacists are compensated for their services by GSC: $60 for the initial consultation and $20 for each follow-up to a maximum of three follow-up consultations per year. Successful completion of the Pharmacist Health Coaching – Cardiovascular Program training course is a prerequisite to delivering this GSC program to eligible patients. The real significance of this program for pharmacy is that it ushers in a new era of support for clinical services by private third-party payers. Atlantic Canada has another program supported by Medavie Blue Cross. It is the Managing Chronic Disease Program through which eligible plan members living with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will have access to one-on-one respiratory disease management counselling sessions For pharmacy, it is important that payers see the value in the services we are providing. We can use these new programs to leverage other payers to consider adding such programs to their extended health offerings to employee plan sponsors. However, we will only have success in expanding these types of eligible programs to other payers if they see positive results and interest on the part of pharmacists to deliver the services. If we don’t collectively step up as a profession and embrace these new opportunities, it will be difficult to get more payers interested. The GSC program officially launched February 10, 2015, in BC and Ontario. At the time of publication, a total of 168 BC pharmacists
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representing 139 different pharmacies have registered for the training program. This is significantly more than the 60 pharmacists who have registered for the program in Ontario thus far. We should be pleased with these numbers but I think we need to do better. There are 1,219 licensed community pharmacies in BC. That means the 139 that have stepped up represent only 11 per cent of the pharmacies in the province. Of course one of the issues is that GSC has a small patient base in BC and not all pharmacies have patients that are GSC card holders. Nonetheless, it would be nice to see many more pharmacies embrace this opportunity for a few reasons. First of all, it is an opportunity to position and market your pharmacy as a real destination pharmacy where patients can receive a variety of clinical services. Ultimately this needs to be about helping patients get better outcomes from their medication therapy through proper adherence and good lifestyle choices. After all isn’t that why we got into the profession in the first place? Secondly there is a chance to earn three to four hours of CE-Plus credits by completing the required training program. Finally, is that this service provides another new potential revenue stream that you didn’t have before. If you don’t have enough GSC patients that frequent your pharmacy why not take the training program anyway? You can always offer this service to other patients on a fee-for-service cash basis. Perhaps they will see enough value in what you are doing for them to lobby their employer and insurance provider to add these services to their extended health plan. Our patients can sometimes be our best advocates, especially if we deliver value to them.
PHARMACIST AWARENESS MONTH
Pharmacist Awareness Month: Pharmacists provide services that are a lot #MoreThanPills During the month of March, the BC Pharmacy Association kicked off an awareness campaign to demonstrate that pharmacists can – and should be able to – do more as health-care providers. Titled “More than Pills”, the campaign launched the first week of Pharmacist Awareness Month. Online content
highlighted areas where BC pharmacists are demonstrating that the work they do goes above and beyond dispensing medications. Focus areas included immunizing patients, serving as primary points of access in rural areas, participating in pharmacogenomic research, and testing INR for patients on warfarin.
“We really are more than pills,” said Abbotsford pharmacist Sunny Dhillon, who was featured in one of the awareness month videos. “It’s great that we’re doing these kinds of things. Not everyone understands what we do as pharmacists.” Featured on the BCPhA’s website and promoted through the Association’s new Twitter account @bc_pharmacy, online content included videos, photos and writeouts about pharmacists’ roles outside of dispensing. The content used the hashtag #MorethanPills. Meanwhile, the BCPhA chose to focus media attention for Pharmacist Awareness Month on the 18-month joint research project “Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy.” The Association made the announcement across the province that 22 community pharmacies have been selected to participate in the research project. (For more information on the project, see page 14.) More than 35 news outlets, including CBC’s Early Edition with Rick Cluff, Global BC and The Vancouver Sun, covered the announcement.
Online #MoreThanPills profiles featured (from top, left to right): pharmacists Larry Leung and Jason Min, Allan Wong, and Sunny Dhillon; and warfarin patient Barbara Elworthy.
www.bcpharmacy.ca
Both the online #MorethanPills campaign and media announcements around milestones for the research project will continue beyond Pharmacist Awareness Month. Both raise the profile and reputation of community pharmacy in BC.
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GENOME PROJECT UPDATE
BC pharmacies selected for genomics project
promoted the announcement of the selected pharmacies to media. More than 35 media outlets, including CBC, Global BC and The Vancouver Sun, covered the story.
A total of 22 pharmacies across BC are now participating in a first-of-its-kind research project that is using community pharmacies to help make drug therapy decisions using a patient’s DNA. “Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy” is an 18-month joint research project funded by the BC Pharmacy Association and Genome BC with research being done by a team at UBC’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. From Port Alberni to Williams Lake to Cranbrook and Fort St. John, almost all geographic regions of BC have a community pharmacist participating in the research. This project will have pharmacists collect saliva samples from 200 patients on warfarin. The samples will then be sent to UBC researchers, who will sequence the patients’ DNA and determine how genetic information would have altered the drug dosage patients were prescribed.
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For Penticton pharmacist Christie Crassweller, of Knights Pharmacy, speaking with the media was just one more way to promote the important work pharmacists are doing to help advance health-care for patients. “I’m proud to be part of this project,” Crassweller said. “Especially since it involves so many of us outside of the big cities. It shows this work can be done anywhere, and that’s what is exciting for patients across BC.”
During the months of February and March, UBC and BCPhA staff trained participating pharmacists in the standard operating procedures for the research project as well as performed quality assurance certification. In late March, as part of Pharmacist Awareness Month, the Association
Many local newspapers covered the news that their community pharmacist is participating in a ground-breaking research project.
UBC lead researcher Dr. Corey Nislow also appeared on live TV and radio. On Pharmacy Day in Victoria, Nislow was interviewed by Pamela McCall on CFAX 1070. “It’s been great coverage,” Nislow said. “There is clearly an appetite for this type of information and reporters are very interested in learning about personalized medicine.”
www.bcpharmacy.ca
How were the pharmacists trained? Each of the participating pharmacies had at least one pharmacist who was trained on all standard operating procedures (SOPs). The pharmacists were trained by UBC and BCPhA staff and received certification that they met the criteria to participate in the project. What happens next in the project? All participating pharmacists have been trained and saliva sample collection begins in April. Each pharmacy will recruit about 10 volunteer patients to participate in the study. After all 200 samples are collected from patients, UBC researchers will generate reports and do modeling that analyzes how a patient’s DNA would have impacted their drug dosage. My pharmacy isn’t participating in the pilot, but what if patients in my pharmacy want to participate? In this first phase, only participating pharmacies, which are testing standard operating procedures like training and patient education and consent, among other items, will recruit patients. However, plans for phase two include roll out across Canada.
Current participating pharmacies
A display of the project and saliva sample kits at Pharmacy Day in Victoria.
Burnaby
London Drugs #56 - Brentwood Town Centre
Courtenay
London Drugs #67
Cranbrook
Loblaw Pharmacy #1553
Enderby
Enderby Pharmacy and Wellness Centre
Fort St. John
Fort St. John Pharmacy and Wellness Centre
Hope
Hope Pharmasave
Houston
Pharmasave
Kamloops
Pratt's Compounding Pharmacy
Kelowna
Lakeside Medicine Centre
Kelowna
Remedy's Rx
Penticton
Knight's Pharmacy
Port Coquitlam
Wilson Pharmacy
Port McNeill
Peoples Drug Mart
Prince George
Hart Drug Mart
Prince George
Save-On-Foods #965
Prince George
Shoppers Drug Mart #268
Surrey
Shoppers Drug Mart #2212
Vancouver
Medicine Shoppe #231
Vancouver
Safeway #60
Victoria
Heart Pharmacy IDA
Victoria
Loblaw Pharmacy #1527
Williams Lake
Save-On-Foods #987
Pharmacy manager Christie Crassweller of Knights Pharmacy in Penticton was featured in a number of local media stories about her role in the genome project. Photo credit: Mark Brett, Penticton Western News.
www.bcpharmacy.ca
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PHARMACY DAY 2015
Pharmacy Day 2015: Using pharmacists’ skills to achieve better health care On March 23, 2015, British Columbia marked Pharmacy Day, an occasion to celebrate the important and valuable contributions pharmacists make every day to improving the health and well-being of British Columbians. Pharmacy Day is about more than just celebrating the profession; it’s also a day that’s aimed at raising awareness and advocating for policies that advance the interests of community pharmacists.
Bryce Wong, BCPhA manager of pharmacy practice support; Linda Reimer, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam; and BCPhA Student Ambassador alumni Aaron Sihota at the evening reception.
The mock pharmacy in the legislature focused on the many services pharmacists provide that are “More Than Pills.”
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BCPhA president David Pavan and vice-president Allison Nourse participated in meetings throughout the day with cabinet ministers, MLAs and key government officials.
Local Victoria pharmacist and BCPhA Board member Glen Schoepp (right) prepared a tetanus vaccination for Dr. Doug Bing, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.
www.bcpharmacy.ca
This year the BCPhA marked Pharmacy Day at the provincial legislature in Victoria. The Association built a mock pharmacy within the parliament building that showcased the health services that British Columbians can access in pharmacies such as medication adherence and immunizations services. In keeping with the Association’s broader #MoreThanPills campaign for Pharmacist Awareness Month, the pharmacy at the legislature also featured other pharmacy services: the cardiovascular health program with Green Shield Canada; warfarin management in community pharmacies; and the Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy project.
Scott Hamilton, MLA for Delta North, learned more about pharmacy services from BCPhA members Amy Ku (Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.) and Jennifer Carefoot (Heart Pharmacy) and had a blood pressure check.
In addition to the mock pharmacy, the Association held meetings throughout Pharmacy Day with cabinet ministers, government and opposition MLAs, key officials in the ministry of finance and health, as well as the Vancouver Island Health Authority. The day concluded with a reception featuring Dr. Terry Lake, BC’s minister of health. Pharmacy Day was a success. The Association was able to demonstrate to MLAs and government officials that a health-care system that uses the skills of pharmacists will achieve the goals of better patient outcomes, efficiency and cost-effectiveness — ultimately benefiting all British Columbians. BCPhA Student Ambassadors Andrea Silver, Jason Alessio and Kevin Sin participated in the pharmacy exhibit.
Minister of Health Dr. Terry Lake opened the evening reception with MLAs and government officials.
During Pharmacy Day, lead UBC researcher Dr. Corey Nislow (right) joined host Pamela McCall on CFAX Radio to talk about the genome project. (continued on page 18)
www.bcpharmacy.ca
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PHARMACY DAY 2015 This year at Pharmacy Day, the BCPhA focused on four areas of opportunity: Warfarin Management in Community Pharmacies
Medication Adherence
Pharmacists are leading the way by providing innovative and efficient health care
Trial Prescription Program BC’s Trial Prescription Program (TPP) encourages pharmacies to dispense a small quantity of certain medications that have a high incidence of adverse effects. This reduces drug waste.
Existing care model Patient
Physician
Pharmacists help improve medication adherence
It’s better for patients and the health-care system to make sure a medication is right for them.
Laboratory
Community Pharmacy
Physician
$396/patient annually*
If PharmaCare updated the TPP to include drugs prescribed for chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and hypertension, it could immediately produce significant savings for our health-care system.
Proposed pharmacist service Community Pharmacy
Patient
$283/patient annually 62,000 British Columbians On warfarin therapy. $21.6 million Estimated costs to government of providing health service under the current approach. 16 times/year The average warfarin patient has their blood tested every four weeks at a laboratory. Six pharmacies in BC Have already been collaborating with physicians by offering point-of-care testing for warfarin since 2001. 40 per cent A growing number of community pharmacies in Quebec (approximately 40 per cent) are providing anticoagulation management due to overburdened hospital clinics and decreasing physician interest in providing these services. The government can achieve health-care efficiencies and innovation today by leveraging the accessibility of community pharmacies across BC to provide point-of-care testing and chronic drug therapy management.
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www.bcpharmacy.ca
Cardiovascular Risk Management The BC Pharmacy Association has partnered with Green Shield Canada (GSC) to offer cardiovascular risk management to patients with GSC extended health coverage. Pharmacists are easily accessible to British Columbians so they can perform frequent interventions that positively influence medication adherence and healthy lifestyle choices. This program is based on a successful pilot project from Ontario that successfully led to quadrupling the number of patients whose blood pressure was under control, increased medication adherence by 15 per cent, and reduced antihypertensive medication costs by more than 31 per cent. GSC’s investment demonstrates that insurers see the financial benefit of pharmacist interventions. More medication is not always the answer. Government needs to engage with pharmacy to find innovative ways to ensure dollars spent on medications are actually achieving their desired outcome.
Immunizations Patients and pharmacists have embraced new roles for pharmacy 3,281 pharmacists Are authorized to administer injections in BC.
Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy Making personalized medicine a reality.
430,000 flu vaccines The public has embraced this pharmacy service – this year it’s estimated that more than 430,000 British Columbians received their flu shot from a pharmacist. Pharmacists have administered hundreds of thousands of vaccines, not just for influenza but also for human papillomavirus (HPV), shingles and pertussis, and have been on the frontline of measles outbreaks in BC. 86 per cent Of community pharmacies in BC have at least one pharmacist authorized to give immunizations. Updating the Health Professions Act legislation would allow pharmacists to administer intranasal immunizations so families with young children can be immunized together against influenza. Government could make the vaccine distribution system more efficient by distributing publicly-funded vaccines through the advanced and well-established pharmacy supply chain. Greater financial accountability could be brought to immunizations spending by assigning this spending to one area of the health-care budget and tracking costs by health provider output (immunization rates).
Innovation This research is the first of its kind in North America and is about using an individual’s DNA to make decisions about which medications are right for them – the right drug, in the right dosage at the right time. Collaboration Funded by the BCPhA and Genome BC, with research led by UBC’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 22 BC pharmacies Across the province are participating in this research project. The project will develop procedures for saliva collection by pharmacists, and for processing and sequencing the DNA in these samples by UBC researchers. Accessibility Pharmacists are the health-care practitioners best positioned to collect and use patient genetic information to help make medication selection and dosing decisions. Pharmacists are not seeking public funding for the broad application of this technology at this time, so the government should support pharmacy’s investment in this health-care innovation.
www.bcpharmacy.ca www.bcpharmacy.ca
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BCPHA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 PREVIEW
Stand Out. Brand yourself. Define your practice. In the spirit of being distinct, we’ve selected the decade of “standing out” – the 1960s – as the theme for this year’s trade show, so delegates are encouraged to show off their retro style. This themed networking night kicks off the conference on Thursday, May 21, featuring more than 30 exhibit booths, great food and exciting door prizes.
Earn your CE-Plus credits, learn the latest in pharmacy developments, and network with your peers in beautiful Victoria, BC, at this year’s BCPhA Annual Conference. Join us from May 21 to 23 at the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa for a host of new speakers and sessions to pique your interest. This year’s theme is Stand Out. Brand yourself. Define your practice. Our keynote, educational sessions and social events will focus on ways pharmacists can differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace and find their niche in the everevolving health-care environment.
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Friday night honours the outstanding pharmacists who are the recipients of this year's BCPhA Pharmacy Awards at a gala dinner. Earn your CE-Plus credits during educational sessions and panel
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discussions on both Friday and Saturday, covering a range of topics relevant to both the business and practice of pharmacy. For the first time, you can also take advantage of three complimentary fitness sessions throughout conference, including yoga and exercise bootcamps. The following pages include highlights of the sessions and speakers, with the full schedule on page 23. For more information or to register, please visit www.bcpharmacy.ca/conference.
Keynote Address Be a Magnetic Brand: How to Cultivate and Sell Your Awesomeness The world has gotten noisy and this noise lends to both opportunities and challenges when it comes to standing out from the crowd. This inspiring, practical and informed presentation will reveal key strategies for how you can start establishing your personal brand in a noisy marketplace. You will learn effective ways to increase reach and revenue, while maintaining integrity in the process. Meghan Telpner is a Toronto-based speaker, nutritionist, and founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. Her humorous, engaging and real approach to living an awesome, healthy life has garnered her a world-wide following and extensive media attention. Telpner's Academy of Culinary Nutrition is growing a global tribe of vibrant living advocates and her best-selling and award-winning book, UnDiet: Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health, is creating a revolution in how people think about their health. With an equal passion for both vibrant living and business, Telpner works with health-focused independent practitioners and small businesses to find their unique voice in a crowded marketplace, stay ahead of the curve, cultivate community and convert passion into profitable ventures.
Medication Management for Patients on Psychiatric Medications This workshop will discuss medication management for patients on psychiatric medications. Participants will be able to identify patients who have not reached their clinical goals. Participants will also discuss assessing patient medications for appropriate indications, effectiveness, safety and adherence and how to effectively communicate their findings to patients, caregivers and health-care providers. Dr. Deborah Thompson is the clinical pharmacy specialist for the Fraser Health Mental Health and Substance Use Psychosis Treatment Optimization Program (PTOP). She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) degree from the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Thompson completed a residency in nuclear pharmacy at Vancouver General Hospital and has been board certified in psychiatric and neurological pharmacy practice since 1996. She has held research positions at the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and T.R.I.U.M.F. Thompson has worked in mental health and addictions for over 32 years, working with health-care teams and clinicians in community mental health centres and dedicated psychiatric facilities.
Pharmacist Health Coaching In this lunchtime presentation, David Willows will talk about the recently launched Pharmacist Health Coaching initiative and explain the impetus behind Green Shield Canada's (GSC) partnership with the BCPhA. He will talk to trends in GSC’s claims data and its perspective on what Canadian private benefits plan sponsors can do to better manage their employees' health. Willows is the vice-president of strategic market solutions at Green Shield Canada, where he leads product development, including pharmacy strategy and the traditional marketing function. Prior to moving to GSC, Willows spent five years as the Toronto Health and Benefits Practice Leader for Aon Consulting and then the merged Aon Hewitt organization. Over the past 20 years, he has split his time between the carrier and consulting community, primarily focusing on attendance and disability management, but more recently focusing on the broader health management issues facing Canadian employers.
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Professional Service: The Double-Edged Sword of Regulatory Ethics In this session, Dr. Mark N. Wexler will discuss a model from his book, Leadership in Context, which points towards the tensions and operating problems of delivering professional services in a context where the regulators are not active service providers. He’ll apply this model and its illustration of tensions in the delivery of pharmaceutical services in BC. A question and answer period will focus on what can be done to smooth these tensions. Wexler is the professor of business ethics and management in the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the president of the Perimeter Group of Consultants. He is a member of the Management and Organization Studies and the Policy Analysis groups in the Beedie School of Business. His work appears in over 110 refereed journals and eight books. He is the recipient of four teaching awards, numerous grants and research funds and was selected as Price Waterhouse Cooper's 2004 Leader in Management Education. Wexler has consulted for diverse organizations in the private and public sectors, including Abbott Laboratories, Microsoft, Proctor and Gamble, and Vancouver Hospital.
Taking Off with Travel Medicine: Practical Experiences in Starting Travel Medicine Services in Pharmacy Using experiences from several pharmacies that have added or specialized in travel medicine, Daniel Scharf will identify the key success factors for getting this valuable speciality off the ground in your pharmacy. Important considerations such as skills and expertise, branding, marketing, and socioeconomic and demographic factors are reviewed. A general process for planning and launching a travel medicine business will be introduced with case studies. Specific business-launching techniques will be comparatively discussed including in-store, outreach, and digital methods. Scharf is vice-president, operations for Global Health Solutions Canada. His company is marketing HealthQuest 3.0, a software platform for efficiently connecting health service providers to effectively deliver patient-centric health and wellness and vaccination programs. Scharf has worked closely with a number of pharmacies to expand into travel medicine. With more than 30 years in operational roles in technology, he brings a foundation of practical experience to his seminars.
The New Health Revolution: The Pharmacist’s Role Responding to the Empowered Patient and the Health Conscious Consumer Our perceptions and definitions of health care are changing rapidly, and we're in the midst of a health revolution that is creating new opportunities for pharmacists. Lionel Wilson will explain the growing market forces and why they are changing. He will review the latest trends and related opportunities, and demonstrate strategies on how to capitalize on these trends, how to connect with your community and how to demonstrate brand leadership while creating positive health-care change. Wilson is a Vancouver-based researcher and business development consultant who specializes in the promotion of integrative health-care services and products. He has worked with a variety of groups including medical doctors, integrative pharmacies, health retailers and InspireHealth, Canada’s leading integrative cancer care program. He is passionate about inspiring positive health-care change and has researched and written about the empowered patient and health conscious consumer.
Read the full session descriptions and speaker biographies at www.bcpharmacy.ca/conference. 22
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www.bcpharmacy.ca
BCPHA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 21
Friday (evening)
6:00pm to 9:00pm
6:00pm to 6:30pm
BCPhA Pharmacy Awards Reception
6:30pm to 9:30pm
BCPhA Pharmacy Awards Dinner Hosted by Mark Dickson
Trade Show & Networking Night
Friday, May 22 7:00am to 7:30am
Fitness Bootcamp Andrea Guzzo - Exercise boot camp
Saturday, May 23
7:30am to 8:30am
Breakfast Buffet
7:00am to 7:30am
8:45am to 9:00am
Welcome Address Geraldine Vance, David Pavan
Fitness Bootcamp Andrea Guzzo - Exercise boot camp
7:30am to 8:30am
Breakfast Buffet
8:45am to 10:00am
Professional Service: The Double-Edged Sword of Regulatory Ethics Dr. Mark N. Wexler
10:00am to 10:15am
Break
10:15am to 11:30am
Panel Discussion* Geraldine Vance, Bob Nakagawa, Dr. Wayne Riggs
9:00am to 10:30am
Keynote Address: Be a Magnetic Brand: How to Cultivate and Sell Your Awesomeness Meghan Telpner
10:30am to 10:45am Break 10:45am to 11:45am
The New Health Revolution: The Pharmacist’s Role Responding to the Empowered Patient and Health Conscious Consumer Lionel Wilson
11:45am to 1:30pm
Plated Lunch and UBC Student Presentations
1:45pm to 2:45pm
Medication Management for Patients on Psychiatric Medications Dr. Deborah Thompson
(concurrent session)
Taking Off with Travel Medicine: Practical Experiences in Starting Travel Medicine Services in Pharmacy Daniel Scharf
2:45pm to 3:00pm
Break
3:00pm to 4:00pm
The Pharmacy Technician Opportunity Facilitator: Sam Louie
4:30pm to 5:30pm
Yoga Class Amy Ku
Moderator: Sam Louie 11:30am to 12:45pm
Plated Lunch and Pharmacist Health Coaching David Willows
1:00pm to 2:00pm
A Faulty Human Garburator and the Community Pharmacist Dr. Blair Sefert
(concurrent session)
Vaccines to Prevent Respiratory Tract Infections in the Adult: What’s New? Dr. Natasha Press
2:00pm to 2:15pm
Break
2:15pm to 3:15pm
The Role of the Kidneys in Diabetes Care: Focus on SGLT2 Inhibitors Dr. David Miller
(concurrent session)
Medical Beneficiary and Pharmaceutical Services Division (MBPSD) e-Prescribing* Tracee Schmidt
3:15pm to 3:45pm
Conference Wrap-Up Sam Louie
*Exact schedule or session titles may be subject to change. Please visit www.bcpharmacy.ca/conference for the most up-to-date information.
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INTEGRATION ACTIVITIES
Integration Activities: A key component of UBC’s new Doctor of Pharmacy Entry-to-Practice Program by David Massaro, B.Sc., B.Sc.(Pharm.), Lecturer - Pharmacy Practice, UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences The new Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Entry-to-Practice (E2P) program at the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences will welcome its first class beginning in September of this year. This program will consist of a modified body systemsbased approach to learning made up of 17 modules within five medication management courses. These comprise 75 per cent of the first three years of the program. A key component coupled within each module will be Integration Activities (IA), which will be led by the IA team – clinical and pedagogical experts skilled in leading practice-based learning activities. What are Integration Activities? Within the PharmD E2P program, the IA team will be responsible for facilitating the learning acquired during a module by introducing patient scenarios for students to apply and integrate what they have learned. Students will be actively learning both individually and as part of small groups. Any activity that builds upon the depth and breadth of experience or problem-solving skills will be included.
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The Integration Activities could involve: • Case studies • Standardized patients or patient simulators • Communication or counselling scenarios • Drug distribution • Physical assessment • Pre-reading a positional paper, research study, or treatment guideline for discussion.
will be introduced alongside multiple conditions and disease progression. Cultural implications, professional responsibilities, and ethical challenges will be integrated as well. All these activities will be designed to foster growth through the years so that students integrate the relevant pharmaceutical sciences with clinical sciences, critical reasoning, interprofessionalism, and individualization of patient care.
What are our objectives?
Our overall objective will be to deliver a patient-centred care approach to problemsolving in pharmacy practice which also includes personal reflection and authentic assessments that mirror real-life practice within various contexts.
The IA team is responsible for building upon and integrating previous knowledge and skills acquired in modules past with a focus on the current module being taught. For example, within the Dermatology module delivered in the first year, an IA may include drawing from the earlier Introduction to Infectious Disease module to solve a case involving a patient with a bacterial skin infection. Another key feature within the IA is a progressive increase in complexity of the patients presented as modules and years progress, a concept referred to as “spiralling”. Complex patient populations
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What is our motivation? For a very long time, we have been declaring pharmacy as a “changing profession”. The same holds true from the perspective of teaching and learning with the Faculty and specifically the IA team. Our intent and motivation is to sharpen and hone the clinical skills that pharmacy students will require once in practice.
Experienced pharmacists will attest to the fact that there is still much to learn and experience after graduation. With the delivery of the new PharmD E2P program, we strive to narrow that gap. The goal is to create pharmacists who will be integral members of the health-care team not only because they are accessible and knowledgeable, but also because they will be able to rapidly translate practice experience into tangible impact on their future patients. This includes having a clear understanding of our scope of practice, when to maximize it, when to recognize limitations in knowledge or skills, and most importantly,
when it’s important to tell the difference. Most would agree that this comes with time and being out in the “real-world”. We will bring this environment to the student while maintaining best practices and the standards set by the College of Pharmacists of BC. With a new program comes the need to recruit dedicated and experienced pharmacists to assist our team. If you would like to share your valuable experience and help teach our future generations of pharmacists, there will be opportunities to apply for positions in the near future.
Reviewed by the IA team: Arun Verma, PhD - Instructor Charles Park, B.Sc.(Pharm.), PharmD - Lecturer Colleen Brady, HBSc.(Bio), B.Sc.(Pharm.) - Instructor Dr. Fong Huynh, B.Sc.(Pharm.), PharmD, ACPR - Lecturer Dr. Katherine Seto, B.Sc.(Pharm.), PharmD, ACPR - Instructor Tamiz Kanji, B.Sc.(Pharm.) - Instructor Tony Seet, B.Sc., B.Sc.(Pharm.) - Lecturer
THE RIGHT MIX Evolution happens and we’ve been there! Pharmacy practice continues to expand in scope. Wynward is here to support that progress. In collaboration with BCPhA, Wynward recognizes the need to be responsive on emerging trends, while at the same time delivering The Right Mix on product, price, and service experience for your insurance needs.
wynward.com
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CAREER LISTINGS
provide a very professional pharmacy practice environment and are committed to: challenging & 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! We have a part-time pharmacist position available in Chilliwack, BC. For more information on career opportunities, please contact or forward your resume in confidence to Gary Go, B.Sc. (Pharm), R.Ph., regional manager, pharmacy operations at gary_go @owfg.com.
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. Job postings for pharmacy technicians and assistants are also distributed by the Pharmacy Technician Society of British Columbia (PTSBC). A new enhancement to the best pharmacy job board in BC! 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
CRESTON Pharmacist – full-time or part-time
ALDERGROVE Pharmacy manager – full-time Rx Save Pharmacy, operated by 1027695 B.C. Ltd., is seeking a full-time pharmacy director for its location in Aldergrove, BC. This is a temporary position with potential to be permanent after one year. The pharmacy is open seven days a week from 7am to 1pm. The pharmacy serves primarily consistent scheduled methadone patients and other patients in the community. See attachment at www.bcpharmacy.ca/jobs for details. Please send resumes to rxsavepharm@gmail.com. Pharmacy technician – full-time In business since 1922, Otter Co-op is a successful $200M retail operation, located minutes east of Langley. Due to our tremendous growth and expansion plans, we are accepting applications for a full-time pharmacy technician. We provide an excellent pharmacy practice environment with personal growth and career development opportunities. If you are highly motivated to provide excellent pharmacy care and customer service please contact Hisham by email at pharmacymgr@otter-coop.com or fax 604.856.3101. BURNABY Pharmacy assistant – full-time Pharmacy assistant required. This position is Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm, no weekends. Please direct all inquiries to Al at asaria1156@gmail.com or please call 604.299.6677.
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
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DELTA Pharmacist – full-time We are looking for full-time pharmacists for our Lower Mainland pharmacy. Experience with WinRX/Kroll and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.) are necessary. The successful applicant is required to have at least one to two years 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, knowledge of 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 and increases steadily with experience. Full medical and dental benefits are provided after a trial period of three months. Please send resumes to shafik@wescanapharmacy.com. Pharmacy technician or assistant – full-time
CHILLIWACK
26
We are currently looking for a full-time or parttime pharmacist to join our friendly, professional team. We take pride in providing superior patient care in a thriving community pharmacy. Pharmacists overlap on weekdays and work alongside two or three pharmacy assistants to allow the provision of prompt and courteous pharmacy services. If you are a motivated pharmacist looking for a rewarding career, please contact us for more information about this opportunity: Jody McBlain, owner, email pharmasave282@gmail.com, fax 250.428.9082 or please call 250.428.9080.. Please visit www.crestonvalleybc.com to learn more about our community and surrounding area.
Looking for an experienced pharmacy assistant or registered pharmacy technician with at least one to two years of community pharmacy experience. Must be aware of all PharmaCare & third party billings and regulations as well as College bylaws. Additionally, must be proficient in Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, etc.) and familiar with PharmaCare related service paperwork (e.g., Medication Reviews, flu and travel vaccinations, adaptations, methadone, compounding, etc.). Mandarin, Punjabi, Hindi, or
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Italian language fluency is an asset. This is a fulltime job (40 hours/week). The ideal candidate must be comfortable taking on a supervisory and leadership role. Wages range from $15-20/ hour depending on qualifications and experience. Kindly forward your resume and cover letter to Shafik at Wescana Pharmacy: shafik@wescanapharmacy.com. KAMLOOPS Pharmacist – part-time Manshadi Pharmacy (477 Paul Street, Kamloops) is looking to hire a part-time motivated pharmacist to work in a well-established independent retail pharmacy. 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 resumes to Missagh Manshadi, pharmacist/ owner at missagh@manshadipharmacy. com, visit www.manshadipharmacy.com, fax 1.250.434.2527 or please call 1.250.574.0111. Pharmacy technician – full-time Manshadi Pharmacy (477 Paul Street, Kamloops) is looking to hire a full-time motivated pharmacy technician to work in a well-established independent retail pharmacy. We specialize in diabetic care, compounding and home healthcare 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 resumes to Missagh Manshadi, pharmacist/ owner at missagh@manshadipharmacy.com, fax 1.250.434.2527 or please call 1.250.574.0111. KELOWNA Pharmacist – part-time London Drugs has a part-time opportunity in Kelowna. Join a clinical and patient focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counselling booths and counselling 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 resumes to Shawn Sangha, pharmacy operations manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com. Pharmacy technician – full-time Looking for a full-time regulated technician. This person must be highly motivated and be able to work well with a team. Please send resumes to asdm2156@shoppersdrugmart.ca or please call 250.860.1788.
CAREER LISTINGS
MILL BAY Pharmacy assistant – full-time Join the team at our established community pharmacy, working closely with professional colleagues and patients. You'll play an integral role in creating high quality patient outcomes through an exceptional patient experience. Your primary role will be pharmacy inventory management as well lead compounding assistant. The successful candidate will be a PCCA certified compounder, have previous experience with pharmacy operations including working with various wholesalers, and be familiar with the process of placing and receiving pharmacy medication orders. In this position, a typical day is spent 50 per cent compounding and 50 per cent on inventory management. The position is Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and one weekend a month. Please send resumes to Erika Pfahl, pharmacy manager at rxmanagerps221@gmail.com. NAKUSP Pharmacy manager – full-time Pharmacy manager and part ownership 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 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. Come enjoy your life! Please send resumes to Troy Clark at troyclark6@gmail.com, fax 250.265.2218 or please call 250.265.2228. Pharmacy technician – full-time Pharmacy technician 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 their pharmacy. Work as an integral part of the healthcare team, where you get the support you need to practice patient oriented care. Flexible schedule and vacation (no evenings, Sundays or holidays) Competitive wages. Come enjoy your life! Please send resumes to Troy Clark at troyclark6@gmail.com, fax 250.265.2218 or please call 250.265.2228.
exceptional customer service; computer proficiency. Desired qualifications: Experience as a pharmacist an asset; exposure to Kroll computer software; efficient time management abilities; effective organization and planning skills; experience with clinical services to long-term care facilities an asset. Please see attachment at www.bcpharmacy.ca/jobs for full job qualifications and requirements. Please send resumes to jobs@carerx.ca.
Pharmacist – full-time Required qualifications: Superior interpersonal skills; strong verbal and written English communication skills; commitment to providing
Pharmacy assistant – full-time
NEW WESTMINSTER
Centric Health is currently hiring full time pharmacy assistant for its new pharmacy (community/retail). Interested in making health care history? At Centric Health we offer innovative health and wellness solutions. Our unique brand of care includes physiotherapy, rehabilitation, assessments, specialty pharmacy, surgical & medical centres. Centric Health has 2,800 dedicated health-care professionals, consultants and support staff in 600 locations across the country. We provide services nationally and operate over 150 clinics, seven surgical centers, and service over 20,000 beds, and fill over 700,000 prescriptions per month and own one of only three fully accredited private hospitals in Ontario. Please send resumes to Vittoria Gambelluri, talent advisor, human resources at vittoria.sgambelluri@centrichealth. ca or please call 416.619.9428.
Pharmacist – full-time
Pharmacy assistant – full-time
Key responsibilities include: checking prescriptions for accuracy, counseling on prescription medications, OTC counseling, health management consulting, and 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, and xomputer proficiency. Work hours: flex schedule - some weekends and evenings. Please send resumes to sabeeh@globalhealthmanagement.ca.
uniPHARM Wholesale drugs and Medicine Centre pharmacies are looking for a full-time pharmacy assistant to assist with various pharmacy tasks. The ability to learn and adapt to new software systems is required. There is potential of having to travel within the Lower Mainland, and sometimes other regions within BC, to various pharmacy locations. A minimum of one year work experience in a pharmacy is required. Only successful candidates will be contacted. Please send resumes to Allison Nourse via email at allisonn@uniPHARM.com.
Pharmacist – part-time London Drugs has a full-time opportunity in Nanaimo. Join a clinical and patient focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counselling booths and counselling 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 resumes to Shawn Sangha, Rx operations manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com or fax 604.448.1075.
PRINCE GEORGE Pharmacist – part-time London Drugs has a full-time opportunity in Prince George. 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 resumes to Shawn Sangha, pharmacy operations manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com or fax 604.448.1075. RICHMOND Pharmacy technician – full-time
NANAIMO
adapt to new software systems is required. A minimum of three years work experience in a pharmacy is required. Only successful candidates will be contacted. Please send resumes to Allison Nourse via email at allisonn@uniPHARM.com.
uniPHARM Wholesale drugs and Medicine Centre pharmacies are looking for a full-time regulated pharmacy technician to assist with pharmaceutical supply duties, billing, and inventory management. The ability to learn and
www.bcpharmacy.ca
Pharmacy assistant – part-time Centric Health is hiring a part-time pharmacy assistant. Please visit the following link to learn more: https://hire.jobvite.com/ j?cj=otsC0fwh&s=BC_Pharmacy_Association. SURREY Pharmacy manager – full-time Pharmasave Grandview Corners in the White Rock/South Surrey area is currently looking for an experienced full-time pharmacy manager (minimum two years management experience). 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 email your resume to MyPharmasave@telus.net. Pharmacist – full-time Are you looking to get out from behind the counter and do some real clinical patient care? As a growing company, NAZ’s Pharmacy is looking for a pharmacist to join our group. We
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are a group of independent, community-based pharmacies that provide patient-centered practices. Our pharmacists require the following individual qualifications: highly motivated with a strong work ethic, strong customer service skills, good communication and leadership skills, ability to work proactively as a member of a dynamic and energetic team, willingness to actively participate in patients’ healthcare outcomes, and various managed care initiatives. We offer stability, competitive wage and benefits package. We pride ourselves on our dedication to our employees and interest in long term relationships. Please send resumes to hr@nazpharmacy.com or fax 604.608.3230 or please call 604.603.7923. Pharmacy technician – full-time Immediate opening for a pharmacy technician. Previous experience an asset and applicant must possess excellent communication skills. Please send resumes to Nafisa, pharmacist / manager at nafisam@telus.net or fax 604.325.3276. Pharmacy technician or assistant – full-time Immediate opening for a pharmacy technician or assistant at Somerset Pharmacy. Previous experience is required along with excellent communication skills. Experience in home health care would be an asset, along with fluency in Punjabi. Must have working knowledge of Kroll and third party billing procedures. The position would be 30-40 hours a week working between 9am to 6pm Mondays to Fridays and some Saturdays as well. Please send resumes to purewald@shaw.ca. VANCOUVER Pharmacist – full-time As a growing company, NAZ’s Pharmacy is looking for a pharmacist to join our group. Minimum two years’ experience required. We are a group of independent, community-based pharmacies that provide patient-centered practices. Our pharmacists require the following individual qualifications: highly motivated with a strong work ethic, strong customer service skills, good communication and leadership skills, ability to work proactively as a member of a dynamic and energetic team, willingness to actively participate in patients’ healthcare outcomes, and various managed care initiatives. We offer stability, competitive wage and benefits package. We pride ourselves on our dedication to our employees and interest in long term relationships. Please send resumes to hr@ nazpharmacy.com or fax 604.608.3230 or please call 604.603.7923. Pharmacist – full-time We are a well-established, fast-paced independent community pharmacy currently looking for a motivated, focused and diligent full-time pharmacist to join our expanding team. We are a dynamic, clinical-based dispensary who works with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals to provide excellent customer
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service and quality patient focused care. Successful candidates must be registered and in good standing with CPBC, possess strong and effective communication and organizational skills, and the ability to work effectively in a team environment as well as independently. Experience with adaptations, administering injections and med reviews an asset. No evenings. Position to start immediately. If interested, please send in a cover letter and your resume to vancouverpharma@gmail.com. New grads are welcome to apply.
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 resumes to jobs@victoriapharmacy.com.
Pharmacist – part-time
London Drugs has a part-time opportunity in Victoria. Join a clinical and patient focused team using the latest robotic dispensing machines plus counselling booths and counselling 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 resumes to Shawn Sangha, pharmacy operations manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com or fax 604.448.1075.
Part-time pharmacist position available, experienced in retail 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. If required, willing to work at two different pharmacy locations, both in the Lower Mainland. Please, no phone calls about this job. Please send resumes to ymm@yyoung.com or fax 604.630.1001. Pharmacy technician – full-time Immediate opening for a pharmacy technician. Previous experience an asset and applicant must possess excellent communication skills. Please send resumes to Nafisa, pharmacist / manager at nafisam@telus.net or fax 604.325.3276. Pharmacy assistant – full-time Established independent pharmacy seeking full-time pharmacy assistant to join our team. Responsibilities include: greeting patients at prescription drop-off and pick-up; receiving and entering prescriptions; preparing and compounding medications; cashier duties & inventory maintenance; general work place organization. Assets: good customer service skills; prior pharmacy experience or graduation from a pharmacy assistant school; general knowledge of government/private insurance; ability to operate Kroll computer software; Cantonese and/or Mandarin speaking skills desirable. We offer competitive wages with excellent training and support. If you are interested in the position, please submit your resume with email address and phone number to mjsrxmanager@gmail.com. Pharmacy assistant – full-time Shoppers Drug Mart 288 (4326 Dunbar Street) is looking to hire a full-time pharmacy assistant. Candidates must have excellent communication skills. Working knowledge of HWNG an asset. Additional duties include inventory management and blister packing. Please send resumes to Robert, associate-owner, at asdm288@ shoppersdrugmart.ca or fax 604.732.8870, or please call 604.732.8855. VICTORIA Pharmacist – full-time Are you looking for an opportunity with an established independent pharmacy chain that is
www.bcpharmacy.ca
Pharmacist – part-time
Pharmacy technician – full-time Pharmacy technician required to work at Heart Pharmacy IDA owned and operated by Naz Rayani. Our focus is on patient-centered practice with a desirable and friendly population. All applications are confidential. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Please send resumes to jobs@victoriapharmacy.com. Pharmacy technician – full-time Location: Hillside Pharmasave Victoria. Required qualifications: Licensed to practice as a pharmacy technician in British Columbia; superior interpersonal skills; strong verbal and written English communication skills; commitment to providing exceptional customer service; computer proficiency. Desired qualifications: Experience in long-term care an asset; exposure to Kroll computer software; efficient time management abilities; effective organization and planning skills. Please see full details at www.bcpharmacy.ca/jobs. Please send resumes to jobs@carerx.ca. Pharmacy technician – full-time We are looking for an energetic full-time registered technician to work in a pharmacy in Victoria. Computer system is Kroll and the position involves regular duties as well as blister packs for home patients. Position available immediately. Contact Gina at 250.882.2535.
CAREER LISTINGS
OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS BC
LOWER MAINLAND
OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE BC
Pharmacist – full-time ACROSS BC Pharmacist – relief, float The Overwaitea Food Group (OFG) proudly provides professional, patient-centered care through more than 110 pharmacies across BC and Alberta. We’re 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 industries finest. Learn more about what we have to offer. Please send resumes to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com. Pharmacy technician – full-time Pharmacy technicians required for various locations across British Columbia (Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Port Coquitlam, Langley, Langford, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George). Costco Pharmacy provides a practice environment which enhances patient care and is equipped with semi-private and private counselling areas. We have a great working environment, opportunities for advancement in addition to highly competitive rates. Costco Pharmacy is seeking ambitious, high-energy pharmacy technicians, who enjoy working in a fastpaced team environment. If you are highly motivated to provide excellent pharmacy care and customer service and would like to inquire about available positions please call, fax or email your resumes to Ed Toth, pharmacy operations manager, Western Canada at etoth@costco.com, fax 425.427.7735 or please call 604.444.9344.
Medical Pharmacies Group is seeking a clinical consultant pharmacist. We specialize in providing pharmacy services to retirement homes and extended care facilities. The pharmacist is responsible for providing innovative pharmacy services and clinical expertise that provides safe medication management and optimizes effective drug therapy outcomes for residents. Participates in multi-disciplinary resident care and makes recommendations to care providers. The consultant is required to build and maintain excellent customer relations. Applicant must be able to travel to various locations in the Lower Mainland. Pharmacists with longterm care and clinical experience are highly preferred. Geriatric Certification is an asset. Please email cover letter/resume to Alvin Singh, clinical lead pharmacist BC, at asingh@medicalpharmacies.com 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 resumes to Shawn Sangha, pharmacy operations manager, at ssangha@londondrugs.com.
www.bcpharmacy.ca
ALBERTA Pharmacist – full-time, float 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 industries finest. Learn more about what we have to offer. Please send resumes to pharmacyemployment@owfg.com.
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Lower Mainland - Pharmacy for sale The pharmacy for sale is a patient care focused pharmacy, strategically located next to a medical walk-in clinic. This is a truly turnkey opportunity with trained staff and an established clientele in place. It is located in a densely populated area that includes commercial and residential developments. This pharmacy is driven by sales of medically required products, making the revenue of this business recession resistant. As the pharmacist and owner you will be supported by one of Canada’s leading health care companies. Asking price is $249,000. Interested in buying this pharmacy? Contact Paul Savage at PaciďŹ c Business Brokers Inc. via email psavage@paciďŹ cbusinessbrokers.com or phone 604.218.3001.to learn more. What is important to you is important to us. PHARMASAVE is the best choice for independent business in BC. Maintain your freedom while having access to the most comprehensive retail and professional programs in the industry and our strong national brand. We are a true cooperative, 100% member-owned and governed. BeneďŹ t from owning your own business, and also share in the economic advantages of a strong group of 500+ stores. If you are a store owner, or a pharmacist interested in purchasing a pharmacy, or are planning on selling your business, please give us a call. Our only priority is you and your success! Contact Dave Reston, CEO, Pharmasave PaciďŹ c, at 1.800.665.3344, 604.575.5730 or email dreston@pharmasavebc.ca.
Forewest Holdings partners with local pharmacists to own 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 either Gordon Gooding at ggooding@forewest.ca, 604.309.7405; or Don Fraser at dmmkfraser@hotmail.com, 604.788.9315. PEOPLES DRUG MART is an established and proven pharmacy banner that will make your pharmacy business more successful and proďŹ table. We provide outstanding marketing support and services for a low monthly fee. Unlike other banners, Peoples Drug Mart does not charge a percentage of sales. Our belief is that the proďŹ ts 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 proďŹ ts. 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 email frankc@pdmstores.com.
Are you thinking of selling your pharmacy? OVERWAITEA FOOD GROUP may be interested. If you would like more information please email pharmacybuyer1@gmail.com.
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www.bcpharmacy.ca
You spend your life helping others. It’s now your turn to receive the right advice.
We Have the Perfect Prescription for Your Home. For 35 years Reliance has been protecting the home and automobiles of BC residents. Reliance is now a partner with the BC Pharmacy Association and has teamed up with them and Adams Insurance to offer HomeProtect Rx—a home insurance policy exclusively for members of the BCPhA. Home Protect Rx is a Comprehensive Home Insurance Policy providing Guaranteed Replacement cost coverage against loss or damage to your home and replacement cost coverage to your personal property. In addition to our exceptional policy features, as BCPhA members you will receive benefits not available to the general public: ■
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Fill Your Prescription Today! Contact Richard Seto or Doug Chan for your no obligation quote. TEL: 604 255 4616 TOLL FREE: 1 800 255 6789
Join us May 21 to 23 at the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa in Victoria Visit www.bcpharmacy.ca to register
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Exhibitors: Adams Cambie Insurance Services Ltd., AstraZeneca, Bayer Inc., Bio-K Plus, Change Day BC, Celgene, College of Pharmacists of British Columbia, Desante Financial, Florastor, Genzyme, Green Shield Canada, Healthmark, Ideal Protein, Jamp Pharma, Johnstone's Benefits, Kohl and Frisch Ltd., Lifescan, McKesson APS, Medical Futures, Merck, Mylan, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada, Omincell, Pacific Blue Cross, PCCA, Pendopharm, a Division of Pharmascience Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Reliance Home Protect Rx, Remedy’sRx, Sanofi Pasteur, Scotiabank, Stallergenes, Takeda Canada Inc., Tom Harris Cellular, Trudell Medical International, Valeant Canada, Wynward Insurance Group, and Xenex Laboratories Inc.