TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. is donating $250,000 to support The Blueprint for Pharmacy Implementation Strategy, a long-term initiative to evolve pharmacy practice with the changing health care needs of Canadians.
Canada’s largest drug store chain, which announced the donation this week, said the funding is earmarked for research to assess the impact of health care policies on pharmacy practices.
In Canada, provincial health care reform is presenting significant challenges and opportunities to retail pharmacy operators. Drug payment reforms have slashed pharmacy reimbursement in some provinces, yet reform efforts also have widened the scope of health services that pharmacists can provide — and for which they can receive remuneration.
"The expansion of pharmacy practice and implementation of government-funded pharmacy services, such as medication reviews, is a significant step forward for pharmacy," Domenic Pilla, president and chief executive officer of Shoppers Drug Mart, said in a statement. "This research will provide further evidence of the impact that patient-centered pharmacy services have on improving health outcomes for Canadians, while at the same time easing the burden on our health care system."
Supported by pharmacy organizations across Canada, the Blueprint for Pharmacy is led by the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores. A landmark document released in 2008, "Vision for Pharmacy," espoused optimal drug therapy outcomes for Canadians via patient-centered care, and building on that mission, the implementation plan for the Blueprint for Pharmacy was developed in 2009.
"An enormous effort by all stakeholders, including Shoppers Drug Mart, has seen so much being accomplished to date," stated Dennis Gorecki, chairman of the Blueprint for Pharmacy Steering Committee. "The Blueprint for Pharmacy is, however, now at the critical implementation stage, which requires essential funding to ensure the successful completion of many important projects that will help drive the evolution of pharmacy practice. We are most grateful to Shoppers Drug Mart for their leadership and for stepping up to provide continued funding to help complete these projects, and we hope that this donation will motivate other pharmacy stakeholders to also support this important initiative."
