Achi news desk-
Pharmacy clinics where you can be seen the same day, or within a day or two, depending on your ailment – have existed in Alberta for over a decade.
But on the east coast, the concept remains in a pilot phase.
Nova Scotia launched 12 in January, 2023, and expanded to 25 later in the year.
Those 25 will be studied until the end of September to measure their success – but there is already talk of more sites.
New Brunswick introduced six in August and September last year – and feedback has been very positive overall.
New Brunswick health minister Bruce Fitch said he needs to look at the data – but he can “see that it will be expanded.”
“But I don’t want to prejudge the data,” he said when speaking to reporters in the NB legislature. “Part of that whole primary care and access to primary care includes the pharmacists. And, this is one area where we can help. So, I’m looking forward to the data and hopefully we can get a positive evaluation. And there could be some expansion of those services.”
When asked about a timeline, he said he would like to see a decision made before his term is complete before the October election.
“The response from the patients has been fantastic. They are seen promptly,” said Fredericton pharmacist Alistair Bursey.
Bursey feels it’s all doable at the moment when it comes to improving healthcare services, and pharmacists are ready to help – want to do more – provided the funding is there.
“The demand for health care is increasing so quickly and these states are growing that you can’t wait, like you used to, for a year to run a program and then six months to evaluate it. I think he’s getting at something where you had to say, okay, we need to speed this up a little bit and evaluate this and make sure, yeah, let’s dot our I’s and cross our T’s. But we need to realize that healthcare needs to be reformed and that it needs to change,” he said.
Liberal leader Susan Holt toured the province focusing on health care earlier this year.
She said she heard very positive feedback specifically about the location of the clinic in Paquetville, NB, and that practitioners there hope it continues.
“They appreciated the model and they were looking for more support on how it would go forward because they want some certainty about the future,” he said.
So far, the six locations in DS can assess and prescribe for ailments such as Group A Strep, and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, COPD, asthma and cardiovascular disease.
