Abstract
Stronger together
Canada’s pharmacy associations work together on key, critical issues affecting the profession in support of strong associations, exceptional pharmacists and healthy Canadians. This CPJ feature highlights some of the work happening at pharmacy associations across the country. In this issue many of our associations have focused on activities related to the upcoming flu season, virtual care and annual conferences.
Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA) | rxa.ca
Long before COVID-19, the funding model and expanded scope of pharmacist practice allowed Alberta’s pharmacists to meet patient needs differently and more responsively than anywhere else in Canada. With COVID-19 changing the way pharmacists and patients interact, the need for distanced delivered services became a priority for our pharmacists. At RxA’s request, Alberta Health made changes to allow pharmacists the ability to continue to manage patient chronic conditions through virtually delivered Comprehensive Annual Care Plans (CACP) and Standard Medication Management Assessments (SMMA). The Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) similarly supported this practice change through their guidelines and standards. RxA recognizes the need to ensure safe practices for pharmacists in community practice and continues to advocate for access to reliable sources for PPE, in cases where patients do need in-person services.
Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) | afpc.info
Congratulations to the 2020 AFPC award winners! AFPC’s annual awards program recognizes the achievements of students and faculty members at Canadian pharmacy schools. With the cancellation of AFPC’s annual conference due to the pandemic, the 2020 winners are being recognized virtually and they will be celebrated at the 2021 conference. Faculty winners are Mireille Schnitzer, Montreal; Shana Kelley, Toronto; Julie Methot, Laval; Louise Mallet, Montreal; Annie Lee, Toronto; Kenneth Manson, Waterloo; Henry Halapy, Toronto. Student winners are Anthony Ku, Toronto; Ahmed Shakeri, Toronto; Julie Demers, Montreal; Zeynab Nosrati, British Columbia; Paul Malik, Waterloo; Thomas Bogdanowicz, Toronto. A special thanks to our award sponsors: PEBC, Merck, Pfizer, Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education and the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.
Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires (AQPP) | aqpp.qc.ca
The Québec Immunization Program aims to improve the population’s health by offering certain vaccines for free. Under the Flu Vaccination Program, the flu vaccine is offered free of charge to people who are most at risk of developing serious complications from the flu. This program will be an important component of managing health care system capacity during the next influenza season in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At AQPP’s request, the Québec government has agreed to compensate owner pharmacists for increased infection prevention and control measures that they will have to implement to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 while immunizing. This will be the first season that Québec will be able to vaccinate their patients.
Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) | pharmacists.ca
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, CPhA remains committed to providing pharmacists with the information, tools and resources you need to continue to offer exemplary care to your patients. We continue to update our website (pharmacists.ca/covid19) regularly with new evidence and information. CPhA’s top priorities to the end of 2020 include preparing for the upcoming flu season, protecting our drug supply from drug shortages and disruptions, maintaining the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act exemptions implemented during COVID-19 and enhancing the role of pharmacists in public health. CPhA has decided we will not host an in-person Canadian Pharmacy Conference in 2020. However, as we continue to build on our successful COVID Conversations webinar series, we are also working on additional virtual learning opportunities to roll out in the fall.
New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association (NBPA) | nbpharma.ca
Over the past decade, New Brunswick has seen a huge uptake in people turning to pharmacists to get their flu shots. NB pharmacists administered 99,500 publicly funded flu vaccines during the 2019-20 flu season, compared to 6000 in 2010-11. The provincial government has announced plans for a universal flu vaccination program this fall. The NBPA continues to work collaboratively with NB Public Health and the NB College of Pharmacists to determine how this program will roll out amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. The NBPA is working to ensure pharmacy professionals have the tools and resources necessary to keep themselves and their patients safe as they support the universal flu program.
Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) | opatoday.com
As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many pharmacy professionals are choosing to provide virtual care to patients to maintain continuity of care and relationships. Early in the pandemic, the Ontario Pharmacists Association created The Guide to Providing Virtual Care to Patients in Pharmacy. The Guide was created to be used in conjunction with the Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics, policies, guidelines, and legislative requirements relevant to practice in Ontario, including ensuring that the collection, disclosure and disposal of personal health information is in compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), which also includes protecting this information from theft, loss and unauthorized use or disclosure. A few key highlights from the Guide include policies for and use of technology, obtaining consent, encryption and privacy. Visit www.opatoday.com for the full Guide.
Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (PANL) | panl.net
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we all work, live and practise pharmacy. Not only are PANL members now delivering many previously in-person consultations virtually, such as Medical Reviews and Deprescribing, but the Association itself has also adapted to this virtual reality and will be offering our members a Virtual CE Program in lieu of the traditional PANL Conference this fall. This comprehensive program will provide members with accredited sessions on an array of timely practice topics during September and conclude with a Virtual AGM October 4.
Pharmacists Manitoba | pharmacistsmb.ca
The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded an adjustment in the way Pharmacists Manitoba interacts with our members and hosts events. We successfully held our AGM virtually in April and will be holding our annual conference in September virtually as well. The Conference will consist of live sessions accessible through the Pharmacists Manitoba website on September 19 and 20, 2020, with on-demand sessions to follow. We are working hard to bring our members a professional, unique and innovative e-learning experience. We anticipate that in the future our conference will likely be virtual or a hybrid in person/virtual event.
Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS) | pans.ns.ca
The provision of the publicly funded flu shot by Nova Scotia pharmacists has grown steadily in the 6 years they have been given the authority to do so. Last year, pharmacies were the biggest provider, administering 40% of Nova Scotia’s flu shots. It is anticipated that pharmacies will continue to be a preferred location for patients to get their flu shots. Combined with an expected surge in demand due to COVID, pharmacies are concerned about capacity and costs (due to enhanced infection control measures), and availability and cost of PPE. PANS is working with the provincial government on these issues to ensure a safe and successful flu season for Nova Scotia pharmacies, their staff, and their patients.
Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan (PAS) | skpharmacists.ca
COVID-19 has brought many practice changes to pharmacy, including the introduction of virtual services for patients, changing how care is delivered. For example, pharmacists have been able to expand phone consultations with patients to medication assessments, minor ailment prescribing, and smoking cessation counselling. Saskatchewan pharmacists are also using online platforms such as Prexip to deliver these services. The increased ability to provide care virtually will be important going forward, as it increases patient access and safety. Over the summer, PAS worked with the Ministry of Health to finalize the upcoming influenza program and ensure that Saskatchewan pharmacists can continue to deliver over 50% of the influenza shots with COVID-19 protocols and challenges.
Prince Edward Island Pharmacists Association (PEIPhA) | peipharm.info
COVID-19 has illustrated how pharmacists provide an essential service and build capacity within the health care system. As other health care providers were redeployed to COVID-related duties, pharmacists stepped up to the plate, providing assessments, prescriptions, immunizations and advice. The experience has left us with an opportunity to consider how things could be done differently. Regulations and policies to support virtual care, where appropriate, must be implemented now to prepare us for an inevitable next wave of COVID. We have the opportunity to make important changes to support safe, efficient and efficacious patient care that will benefit our patients during this pandemic and beyond.
Yukon Pharmacists Association (YPA) | yukonpharmacists.ca
The upcoming flu season will be the first time Yukon pharmacists will be able to offer publicly funded vaccines. Yukon Pharmacists Association has had meetings with public health and community nursing to discuss the involvement of community and hospital pharmacists. This will be a very steep learning curve for pharmacists, especially during the pandemic. Yukon pharmacists are excited to be able to offer flu vaccines for the first time to take the burden off public health, while at the same time being apprehensive about offering a new service when uptake of the flu vaccine is expected to be higher this year. A new fee schedule has recently been agreed on with the Yukon government, which includes reimbursement for vaccine services.
