Rethink Pharmacists
Rethink Pharmacists Manitoba
Rethink Pharmacists Sheril Cyriac
Rethink Pharmacists Mark Mercure
Manitoba Pharmacists Can Provide More
Your Pharmacist, Your Community
Rita Haroldson shares her experience with Manitoba pharmacist Colin Langedock.
The Best Part About Being a Pharmacist
Manitoba pharmacists tell us why they love being pharmacists at the annual Pharmacists Manitoba Conference.
On August 27, 2014 / Media
On August 26, 2014 Shoppers Drug Mart in partnership with CARP (formerly known as the Canadian Association of Retired Persons) released their "Sustainable Solutions Report: Focus on Pharmacist Medication Reviews. Marilyn Sidhu (Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist and MSP member) spoke with Charles Adler (CJOB) to generate awareness about Medication Reviews and the support that can be given to a patient through a comprehensive "sitdown" appointment. Click here to listen to the entire interview online , simply select August 26 at 9 AM (interview is from 9:06 - 9:21 am). *Please note: Audio clips are archived only for 10 days, therefore we have included highlights of the interview.* Interview Highlights: Marilyn: " 8 out of 10 provinces now recognize the value that pharmacists and medication reviews can play in the role of healthcare. Medication Reviews is an essential service provided by pharmacists and the goal of the reviews is to ensure that people use the medication safely, to better identify and manage any concerns with how a patient takes the medication. The reason why they are an important source of sustaining the health care system is that adverse drug reactions and medication related incidents account for a huge number of dollars that can certainly saved and better used in other aspects of healthcare. 5% of all visits to the Emergency Room are a direct result of an adverse drug reaction. 6 % of hospital stays are a result of a drug reaction as well. that can add up to 2 billion of healthcare dollars that could be saved with a simple medication review given by your local pharmacist." Charles: " Is the consumer in other provinces more informed than the consumer here (in Manitoba)?" Marilyn: " the benefit of having a publicly funded medication review process .... gain a greater understanding of how to better use your medication safely and efficiently to minimize the progression of your disease. It certainly happens to some extent in Manitoba, but not to the same extent in other provinces where funding is available... you can actually sit down with your pharmacist for 1/2 hour to 1-hour consultation, in 1-on-1 discussion on the management of your health." Marilyn: " ... the focus for me is to encourage the pharmacy community and public at large to really work towards a system that is consistent and fair, and is easily accessible to all Canadians, including Manitobans" Charles: " ...is there any evidence that our patients right now are suffering? Is there any evidence that our patients are operating in an unsafe environment right now, with respect to pharmaceuticals?" Marilyn: "... the reality is: adverse drug reactions, that can be easily managed through a comprehensive medication review, contribute to 2 billion dollars of expenses. In addition, non-adherence and non-compliance (patient isn't taking medication properly, isn't refilling on time, or discontinuing therapy) that can also contribute to a further 7 - 9 billion of expenditures that could be funding other programs for the benefit of the patient." Patricia Caetano, Executive Director of Provincial Drug Programs (Manitoba Health), joined the conversation with Marilyn and Charles stating: Patricia: " I think that the pharmacists often make excellent points (like that) and we agree that absolutely the pharmacist plays a very important role in the overall healthcare system. As she said (Marilyn) pharmacists are the most accessible health care provider, everybody knows their pharmacist and many many people have a better relationship with their pharmacists than they do with their physician." Charles: When it comes to safety, is the system that we have in every province, except for Manitoba and Quebec, safer for the patient? Patricia: "I'm not familiar with any evidence, right now, that demonstrates that Manitoba's patients who see pharmacists and get excellent care from their Manitoba pharmacist are at any greater risk than other patients in Canada. For example, Marilyn was talking about medication reviews specifically. And medication reviews are often done in most situations when a pharmacists dispenses a medication. Anybody who has ever received a prescription has had an opportunity to speak with their pharmacists, to ask questions of their pharmacist, to sit down if necessary (in a private area). The medication reviews that the Shoppers Drug Mart report is discussing (the report that was released today) is very specific to a much more comprehensive 1-on-1 sit down, 'let's take a look at the whole picture' role. And right now we don't have evidence that additional service is necessary or effective to prevent additional or more adverse drug reactions." Charles: " Why do you think all the other provinces are doing this (funding medication reviews)?" Patricia: "I don't want to argue what is involved in the supervision or monitoring rather, where do we see the evidence that demonstrates that this additional supervision is leading to improved patient outcomes? " Charles: In order to be a superb advocate you've got to develop a picture of a serious problem, a clear illustration of where people are we taking too many medications, not taking enough medications, are being harmed because of the process that we have. And unfortunately, we don't have crystal clear examples. I guess, from the government's perspective some of this theoretical? Patricia: "Well it's theoretical in the public payer perspective. In Manitoba, pharmacist have always been able to provide medication reviews. So this isn't a service that is brand new to Manitoba or the practice of pharmacy. When we created new legislation ( in the new year) there were some new authorities granted to pharmacists things like, administering vaccines, prescribing certain medications for certain situations, but medication reviews have always been a practice of pharmacists. When a pharmacist wants to do a comprehensive medication review the issue in Manitoba is that it is a patient paid service, as opposed to a service that is paid for by the government (on top of the dispensing fee). Charles: " That's the crux of this: other provinces are paying. Manitoba and Quebec are not paying. This ultimately comes down to a process that could be involved in our system if the government were to pay for it or the patient would be paying for it. But if neither pays for it, the patient doesn't have exactly the same service that they have elsewhere. It's really about the money." Patricia: " Well, it's about the about the ability of the service to achieve the results that what we want for health and for the population overall." Charles: " Yeah, but if it doesn't get funding, then it doesn't happen." Patricia: "I don't know that. I don't know, right now, that pharmacists aren't providing that service as part of their general dispensing." Charles: "I'm just going by what they are saying. They are saying they are providing a more extensive service because it is funded by the government in all these provinces except Manitoba and Quebec. That's their position. I am not arguing for them, I'm not advocating for them, I'm not lawyering for them. Simply that's what they are putting out there today, along with the association that represents retired people. I'm not arguing with you either. The government's position is: nothing needs to be done here, thanks very much for the report - it's interesting, pharmacists are important - we carry on." Patricia: " No. I don't believe that nothing needs to be done. I really believe that we are waiting. We are waiting to see what some of the other provinces are doing in terms of evaluating those programs. Most of them are very new, in that they only recently began funding programs like this. If Manitoba is considering implementing a program like it, we are very eager to see the results of those evaluations. To see, how can we develop our own program that appropriately tailored for Manitobans, tailored to the health needs that we have here, the type of population that we have and not to replicate mistakes that have happened in other provinces." Charles: " So, officially the government's position (here in Manitoba) is : you are waiting for more information before making a decision? Patricia: " Absolutely."