Winnipeg duo puts coaching and health management front and centre in novel pharmacy model

A Winnipeg couple is redefining the pharmacy model in their community with an approach that puts health coaching and disease management front and centre of their practice. Tim Smith and Josée-Anne Le Dorze launched their new business, Simplicity Wellness, with a focus on helping patients take control of health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, insomnia, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "What makes our practice different from most pharmacists is that we are focused strictly on the consultation and coaching aspect," said Smith who, like Le Dorze, has more than a decade of pharmacy experience. The two are the first pharmacists in Manitoba to achieve a licence for this type of practice. Read: One-of-a-kind pharmacy center opens in Nunavut Can’t sleep? Simplicity Wellness offer cognitive behaviour therapy for patients with insomnia. Can’t breathe? Smith and Le Dorze will assess your asthma or COPD and come up with a regimen based on medication and non-medication solutions. Unlike regular pharmacies, Simplicity Wellness does not dispense medications. Smith and Le Dorze said their goal is to teach patients how to make the most of pharmaceutical therapies and to encourage lifestyle changes towards their health goals. To do this, the pair develops detailed plans based on each patient’s concerns and objectives. "We work with people according to their values and beliefs to reach the goals they set for themselves," said Smith. Sometimes this means helping patients decrease or stop medications that are no longer helping them, said Le Dorze. For these patients, Simplicity Wellness will do a thorough assessment followed by a supervised de-prescribing plan. "In the health system, right now, we’re really good at adding medications, but not as good at re-assessing whether or not they’re still needed," she said. In addition to these services, Simplicity Wellness also offers travel health consultations—which involves reviewing travel destinations to determine vaccine and other health requirements—as well as pharmacogenomic testing where DNA testing from saliva samples can help determine how a patient metabolizes and reacts to certain medications. "This is especially important in the field of mental health where people have to go through a lot of trial and error to find the medication that works for them," said Smith. Consultations are available in-store and virtually. Whichever delivery channel patients choose, what they’ll get from Simplicity Wellness is focused attention, time and care based on in-depth understanding of their health concerns and goals. "We knew we needed to create a different practice where we could spend the time with clients to really focus on helping them take action," said Smith. Read: Meet the 2021 Pharmacy U Innovation Award winners

Winnipeg duo puts coaching and health management front and centre in novel pharmacy model

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