MedEssist’s Access to Care program: Pharmacies use new technologies to fill primary care void

Community pharmacies in Ontario are stepping further into primary care with the launch of MedEssist’s Access to Care program. The pharmacist-led technology company has developed a software model that allows pharmacies to offer clinic-style services, supported by digital workflows, clinical protocols and marketing resources.Working in collaboration with physicians and nurse practitioners—and guided by patient intake forms and workflow guides—Ontario pharmacists can provide assessments and prescriptions on demand. Prescribers authorize condition-specific workflows and all clinical variables. The program, which has been active for over a year, is already running in more than 50 mostly independent Ontario pharmacies, with a broader launch expected this fall. Expansion to Manitoba and British Columbia is planned for 2026.Read: NEW PRODUCT: BIOS Medical Blood Pressure Monitor BalanceLisa Ho, clinical project manager at MedEssist says the program was developed to address a growing need in community pharmacy practice. “One in five Canadians doesn’t have a family doctor; pharmacies are already assessing patients, but often they have to stop and refer—and there’s no one to refer to,” she says. “We wanted to build a program that empowers pharmacists to help patients from start to finish.”Access to Care provides an end-to-end solution: practice agreements, marketing materials, technology integration and education. A patient begins by completing an online or in-pharmacy assessment, which pharmacists can review on their MedEssist dashboard before the consultation so the pharmacist is ready for them. The system uses an AI-driven tool to analyze patient responses, flags concerns and draft prescriptions or documentation in real time, reducing delays often seen with telehealth models. “I live and work in a rural region where we continue to lose family practitioners and I want to be part of the solution,” says Kristen Watt, owner of Kristen’s Pharmacy in Southampton, Ont. At a time when pharmacists are “extremely underused” in the healthcare system, she says this program is a step forward in enabling pharmacists to help address the access to care crisis that currently exists in Ontario. Read: What pharmacists can learn from Asepha's $4M seed fund raisingPharmacy manager Monika Kalra of Total Care Drug Mart in Scarborough, Ont., says her patients love the convenience of getting travel healthcare right at the pharmacy. “We’ve had amazing feedback from our patients—people are genuinely thankful and happy to pay for the service because it saves them time and hassle.” Nicole Lim Tung, a former community pharmacist turned MedEssist software developer, says the technology is designed with workflow realities in mind. “When I was practising, documentation always bogged me down,” she saus. “So, when we were building this, we tried to automate as much as possible so pharmacists can focus on the patient. Most of our team has worked in pharmacies, so we know where the technology can actually help.”The program supports care for more than 20 conditions. Available workflows cover birth control, shingles, diabetes supplies, and multiple travel health conditions (including hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and Japanese encephalitis). Preventive services such as HPV and RSV vaccination are also included and new workflows are being added monthly. MedEssist recently released strep testing and treatment in Ontario. “We ask our pharmacy users directly what they’d like to see next,” says Ho. “That feedback drives our pipeline.”A patient-facing directory of Access to Care pharmacies will be released soon, helping patients quickly find participating locations. “Patients often assume all pharmacies offer the same services . . . this will make it clear where they can go for the care they need,” says Tung.MedEssist expects demand for the program will continue to evolve across Canada. “Every week we hear from pharmacies asking when this will be available in their province,” says Ho. “Our goal is to bridge the access gap while letting pharmacists use the skills they already have.”

MedEssist’s Access to Care program: Pharmacies use new technologies to fill primary care void

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