Why this pharmacist is partnering with a cannabis retail brand

According to Anushya Vijayaraghevan, cannabis is an underused tool in medicine. That's especially the case when it comes to pain management, Vijayaraghevan says, stressing that there is a wide variety of cannabis options for it. “There are a lot of patients on opioids that don’t want to be, and we do have an opioid epidemic as well,” she says. “Typical prescription medications, especially for patients with chronic pain and neuropathic pain, are not 100% effective and cause side effects like weight gain, dry mouth, or just a general sense of feeling unwell. Patients want alternatives.” That's why the Toronto-based pharmacist founded Apothecare in 2018 with business partner and fellow pharmacist Ajay Chahal to teach more patients about the health benefits of cannabis. At first, the company focused on training pharmacists and physiotherapists to be able to provide cannabis consultations to patients. Now, Vijayaraghevan is shifting her focus to consumers. “We want to talk to Canadians that are walking into cannabis retail stores looking for that health and wellness guidance that budtenders legally can’t give,” Vijayaraghevan explains. Now, Vijayaraghevan and Apothecare are collaborating with consumer brands like Fika Cannabis, which has 21 retail stores in Ontario, and Stok’d Cannabis, which has five locations in Ontario. Staff members at the retail locations will “refer out to [Apothecare] and then we can guide the consumers on cannabis use and whether it’s safe and appropriate,” she explains. By partnering with Fika, a large banner with multiple brands and many locations, Apothecare’s services will be more accessible to more people. With Fika’s focus on wellness products, the collaboration with Apothecare will elevate that customer experience, Vijayaraghevan hopes, especially for older customers (the average age of Apothecare’s clients is 61). “[Fika] wants to be able to assist and guide them, and this partnership with us will allow them to do that.” Vijayaraghevan and Apothecare’s services will be integrated at the retail level, so all staff members will be trained on their services and when it would be appropriate to refer customers to Vijayaraghevan. “That’s so these questions can be addressed seamlessly and customers aren’t left in limbo when staff members tell them to go speak with their family doctor,” she explains. “Many Canadians don’t even have a family doctor or their family doctor might not be trained in cannabis therapeutics.” The partnership will also involve business cards and pamphlets readily available at all Fika locations so that customers can also call Apothecare, or use their online service, directly. The goal, says Vijayaraghevan, is to increase the “accessibility of healthcare and professional advice [about cannabis] in a retail setting.” Right now, there’s no framework in place for customers to learn about the health benefits and wellness uses of cannabis from trusted healthcare professionals—you either have to go the medical cannabis route and see a doctor and nurse practitioner or you buy at a dispensary with no healthcare oversight at all. “We want to bridge that gap and guide customers who don’t want to go the medical route, which many think is too convoluted,” Vijayaraghevan says. “It can be so difficult to navigate the medical system with so many different steps to get product, whereas walking into a retail store is so easy and accessible. We want to just give that healthcare oversight at that retail level.” Vijayaraghevan also wants to lift the stigma surrounding cannabis use. Though already fading, Vijayaraghevan hopes to see more and more patients be open to using alternative therapies and potentially cannabis therapy in their day-to-day lives. For pharmacists, Vijayaraghevan hopes that the profession becomes more open to alternative therapies too.

Why this pharmacist is partnering with a cannabis retail brand

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