On the pandemic's third anniversary, Ontario’s first COVID vaccinator looks back and to the future

What a difference a pandemic makes. Three years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Canada’s pharmacists can look in the mirror and see a profession transformed by expanded responsibilities and an elevated status among the public. On this anniversary, Pharmacy Practice + Business spoke with Toronto pharmacist owner John Papastergiou, who administered the first COVID vaccine in Ontario, and Danielle Paes, chief pharmacist officer at the Canadian Pharmacists Association about COVID milestones for pharmacy and what a post-pandemic future looks like for the profession. Part of history: Ontario’s first COVID vaccine is administered On March 10, 2021—just one day short of a year after COVID was declared a pandemic— Papastergiou injected the first COVID vaccine shot in Ontario. “It felt like I was part of history,” he recalled. “For me personally it was such a memorable moment. The vaccine I gave was AstraZeneca. I remember how that first patient and I got a lot of media attention—we were on the cover of a lot of newspapers.” ‘We’re here, we’re open’ Perhaps the biggest value pharmacists offered during the pandemic, said Papastergiou, was their accessibility at a time when many doctors had temporarily shuttered clinics. “There was a lot of fear at the time but throughout all that we reassured patients that we’re here, we’re open. I think that today, we continue to be viewed as the healthcare providers can turn to even late at night. It’s paved the way for us to become a primary healthcare hub.” Read: Pharmacy Leader John Papastergiou: "We are on the frontlines. What we do is practise, and this has real-world applications." 25 million COVID vaccines—and counting The ability to immunize has, in particular, been a game-changer for pharmacy, said Paes. Consider this: since they were given the authority to administer COVID-19 vaccines, Canada’s pharmacies have given more than 25 million shots, said Paes. Then came Paxlovid and minor ailments prescribing There were other milestones for pharmacies during the pandemic. One notable change was the ability of pharmacists to provide opioid therapy management services. There’s also the expansion of prescribing authority, most notably in Ontario and British Columbia. “From Paxlovid prescribing to the expansion of minor ailments in a number of provinces, the last year we have seen real momentum, not just on scope but the public funding of these services, which is a critical part in expanding pharmacy care,” said Paes. “We are also seeing the introduction of pharmacist-led walk-in clinics in some provinces, reflecting the expanding primary care role pharmacists are playing.” After all the gratitude and accolades, the mood has changed Papastergiou still remembers all the long, stressful days when he and his teams worked long and hectic hours to keep up with the demands of the pandemic. There were tests to be done and arms to be jabbed. Today the pressure has waned, and so has the appreciation from patients and governments. “In the beginning there was much thanks given to our pharmacy teams,” he recalled. “It was great to see that recognition. It’s changed a little bit now but I hope people won’t forget that we were there for them when things were really tough, even if that meant risking our own health.” Read: Pharmacists with big ideas—it never gets old But the view of pharmacy is changed for good—and for the better Papastergiou hoped that, having proved what they’re capable of doing, pharmacies will become a key access point for primary care. As an example of how this might work, he pointed to the province of Alberta where full prescribing can be done in pharmacy. “We’re seeing new models of care. For example, in Lethbridge (Alberta), we have a pharmacist-led primary healthcare clinic and there’s a new one that’s opened in Nova Scotia as well,” he said. “I think we’ll be seeing our first one in Ontario as well.” The future: Harmonized scope across the country? Papastergiou said he’s like to see pharmacy in all provinces and territories get to same scope as Alberta pharmacies. There’s pent-up demand for expanded pharmacy services, given that the pandemic has kept many Canadians away from their family doctor. And there are new technologies available to support more clinical services in pharmacy. “We have technology that allow us to screen for diabetes and a number of other conditions, and to make real-time clinical decisions,” said Papastergiou. “There’s a real opportunity today for pharmacists to engage patients with these novel technologies and help them get better control of their health right in their community pharmacy.” Read: Tales from the pharmacy frontlines: Mid-summer update

On the pandemic's third anniversary, Ontario’s first COVID vaccinator looks back and to the future

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