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RICHMOND, British Columbia — Looking back on 2022, it was a year of continued hard work managing vaccines but also one of excitement and new opportunities, recalls Chris Chiew, general manager of pharmacy and healthcare innovation at London Drugs. In September 2022, the British Columbia health minister made an announcement that gave pharmacists the ability to adapt and renew more medications, administer a wider variety of medications via injection and intranasally and set plans in place for pharmacists to prescribe 21 minor ailments and contraception that went into effect on June 1, 2023.
Chris Chiew
Chiew notes that the first day the chain was able to offer this service in British Columbia one of London Drugs’ pharmacies had 10 patients come in after 7 p.m., when other clinics were closed or full. “We’ve also heard of patients waiting outside at other pharmacies before opening to get this service. This really shows the demand, and the government deserves acknowledgment for meeting this need for patients.”
He adds that the chain now has the most regions in Canada recognizing the value that pharmacist prescribing contributes to the health care system. “Opening beyond the traditional 9 to 5 and on the weekends allows patients to see a pharmacist when other health care facilities maybe closed.”
Chiew says London Drugs pharmacists in northern Alberta have been very active in helping test and treat for hepatitis C in the vulnerable population. “Our pharmacists have made great strides in connecting with community outreach programs to provide testing at the community centers. With each positive point-of-care test they find, the pharmacist will then order lab tests to confirm that the patient is eligible for treatment, prescribe the medication and follow-up until the patient has completed their course of therapy. This unique practice has further solidified the need for clinical pharmacists’ expanded scope of practice.”
“For the last month and into the fall, we are working with the Canadian Liver Foundation (CLF) in British Columbia to perform Fibroscans as part of a research project, co-led by Dr. Peter Kwan and Dr. Eric Yoshida, and funded by the CLF. The project conducts testing to identify fatty liver disease and liver scarring or cirrhosis to residents of greater Vancouver using a Fibroscan. It comes as the CLF reports a rise in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rates, which may now impact one in four Canadians. The Fibroscan is noninvasive, using ultrasound technology to measure liver stiffness, and can also determine the approximate amount of fat in the liver. Receiving a Fibroscan is incredibly important to test for fatty liver disease and liver scarring or cirrhosis. Through this project, Kwan’s research team, in collaboration with the CLF, is working to determine and understand the prevalence of fatty liver disease in the community to better direct treatment, awareness and education,” he explains.
Chiew points out that in the month of July,a significant number of London Drugs stores in British Columbia and Alberta participated in a global hypertension study conducted by the International Society of Hypertension in partnership with Hypertension Canada. “This was a great opportunity to highlight the importance of measuring blood pressure as well as identifying and facilitating the reduction of BPs of those people who required intervention according to current guidelines. The goals of the study are to screen 1 million people 18 years old and older, supply diet and lifestyle treatment advice to all those screened who have BPs in the high normal (130-139/80-89 mm Hg) and hypertensive (over 140/90 mm Hg) ranges, provide advice on further follow-up of raised BP according to Canadian guidelines and to use the data on untreated and inadequately treated hypertension to motivate governments to improve local screening facilities and policies, and thereby reduce the global burden of disease associated with raised BP.”
He adds that as the most accessible members of the health care team, the chain is making itself available in a variety of ways to ensure the health and wellness of the patients are taken care of.
