Test program lets patients of two family doctors and one psychiatrist get care from pharmacy team for certain conditions

A pharmacy care pilot project in Saskatchewan will allow patients rostered with two family physicians to seek care from a Shopper Drug Mart pharmacy team for management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, underactive thyroid and Warfarin medication management.The Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy, located in the southwest Saskatchewan community of Swift Current, will also provide mental health management and support for patients of a Saskatchewan psychiatrist.Saskatchewan Health Minister Everett Hindley said the pilot project will give patients in Swift Current more healthcare options and described pharmacists as highly trained professionals.“The agreements in this pilot will optimize their skills, build capacity within our health care system, and improve patient access to care," Hindley was quoted in a new release issued recently by the province.Read: New Brunswick to open Pharmacist Care ClinicsUnder the one-year pilot, Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy owner Paul Bazin and his team are authorized to provide care, for the conditions specified in the agreement with the province, for patients of family physicians Dr. Emmett Harrison and Dr. Janna Cuthbert, and psychiatrist Dr. Yasir Ahmed."My pharmacy team and I are excited to be a part of this innovative pilot to help improve health care access for many Swift Current residents," said Bazin. "Utilizing pharmacists to their full scope of practice to help patients manage certain conditions such as depression, anxiety, and COPD, while working in collaboration with their physician and health care team, is a real game changer for our community." Dr. Ahmed said the pilot “exceeds all my expectations. Its accessibility for clients is amazingly awesome. In medical school, we were taught that the person who knows best about any medication is the pharmacist. But I never dreamt that one day the pharmacy would enjoy that flexibility to be able to monitor treatment and adjust based on clients' response and tolerability."Read: Pharmacy Brands Canada opens pharmacist-led clinic in AlbertaThe Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals welcomed the opportunity to expand the scope of practice for pharmacists under the pilot."The new pharmacy practice expansions will help address some of the pressures on the health care system that are within a pharmacist's optimal scope of practice," Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals registrar Jeana Wendel said. "This expanded practice supports primary health care, collaboration, and strengthens access to safe pharmacy care services for the people of Saskatchewan."An evaluation of the project will help to inform potential opportunities for expansion to additional pharmacy locations and other chronic medical conditions.Read: The little province that could—and did

Test program lets patients of two family doctors and one psychiatrist get care from pharmacy team for certain conditions

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