How the pharmacist can close the primary care gap

Expanded role for pharmacist can close the primary care gap.

Ok, so we all have been hearing about this for sometime now. Last week the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National PharmaCare program met with the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada. This was to discuss a national PharmaCare plan triggered by high drug prices, medication adherence and the opioid crisis etc.

What I got out of the news release was that things are about to change…and I mean sooner than you may think. Kind of like Bill 102 abolishing generic rebates in Ontario during the Liberal government years, circa 2010’ish. How did that turn out for ya? None of these people are in Government anymore but they left a legacy of mayhem and public confusion. Virtually taking away any equity small pharmacy business owners had. The changes were to extreme and to fast for those times.

I remember the announcement of Bill 102 well. It was not all bad with the government creating some provincial payable services. I get the sense that last week’s announcement is along the same lines. Saving the Federal Government money and taking away your rebates to pay for them. The Pan Canadian pricing took away 20% of you business in various molecules last year. So my question is how did you make up the 20% short fall and continued to grow? The answer is you didn’t.

So as a pharmacist and business owner you have to start thinking about how will the government expand your scope of practice to close the primary care gaps? Here’s a hint. Provincial equalization payments will not be equal, as you know it. It’s imperative that you start thinking about providing services that don’t depend on government or third party payers. Lets get the conversation started before you are left behind.

How the pharmacist can close the primary care gap