COVID-19 Advocacy

Throughout the pandemic CPhA has represented the interest of the profession and the pharmacy sector with government officials, media, and other stakeholders. We’ve advocated for the profession at national tables on issues like drug shortages, vaccine administration, 30-day supply, asymptomatic testing, PPE access and more.

COVID-19 vaccination

• CPhA supports mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers: Ensuring all our front-line health-care workers are vaccinated is an important step in protecting patients and the capacity of our health care system. (August 5, 2021)
• Pharmacists disappointed with NACI messaging on vaccine recommendations: On behalf of Canadian pharmacists, many of whom are currently administering COVID-19 vaccines across the country, we are disappointed in the messaging communicated today by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which is causing additional confusion for many Canadians. (May 3, 2021)
• Canadian pharmacists join urgent call for more collaboration and targeted action to support harder hit regions: Large majority of Canadians support allocating vaccines to those who are in most need. (April 23, 2021)
• Pharmacies across Canada underutilized; less than half included in vaccine rollout: As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge across the country, Canada’s vaccine strategy has never been more important; but thousands of pharmacies across the country are still waiting to get involved. (April 15, 2021)
• COVID-19 Vaccine and Pharmacy Readiness: Recommendations from CPhA and Neighbourhood Pharmacies (December 2020)
• Pharmacists anticipate significant demand for COVID-19 vaccines, call for a coordinated strategy with federal support: The Canadian Pharmacists Association is calling for a more coordinated strategy to ensure that health professionals are ready to administer vaccines when they arrive in Canada. (December 3, 2020)

Drug shortages

• Pharmacists continue to have difficulty sourcing certain medications amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Community pharmacists across Canada continue to be faced with drug supply challenges two months after the COVID-19 pandemic began, and they remain very concerned about their ability to access the medications their patients need. (May 27, 2020)
• Statement - Pharmacists see spikes in drug shortages during pandemic: COVID-19 is and continues to be a threat to Canada’s drug supply say Canada’s pharmacists, and they are concerned about dramatic increases and volatility in the number of reported drug shortages. (April 17, 2020)
• Joint Statement - Diabetes supplies in Canada during COVID-19 crisis: CPhA and Diabetes Canada released a joint statement regarding the insulin supply in Canada to encourage Canadians to not stockpile medications or supplies. (April 8, 2020)
• Statement on 30-day supply of prescription medications: CPhA issued a statement on the need for pharmacies to carefully manage medication inventories to prevent drug shortages (March 23, 2020)
• COVID-19 and the responsible allocation of medications to patients: To ensure that Canada’s medication supply is managed responsibly, we are recommending a 30-day supply of medications for patients, unless clinically justified (March 17, 2020)
• CPhA Statement on Stockpiling: Canadian Pharmacists Association warns against stockpiling medication in response to COVID-19 (March 4, 2020)

Testing

• More than 2000 pharmacies ready to provide rapid COVID-19 tests to small and medium employers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario: CPhA has been working with Health Canada and its partners in the pharmacy community to make rapid test kits available in pharmacies for workplace testing. (August 13, 2021)
• Canadians urge expanding COVID-19 asymptomatic testing across Canada: Long wait times for testing and limited testing locations continue to be challenges in many parts of the country. (September 15, 2020)

Government appearances

We represented pharmacy before the HESA and SOCI Committees, on the federal government’s COVID-19 Supply Council and on the CPHO Health Professionals Forum.

• Remarks to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology: CPhA appeared before the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to highlight the key role pharmacists have played throughout the pandemic. Our comments focused on the challenges pharmacists have experienced in managing drug supply, the ongoing lack of protective equipment and the need to prepare for the upcoming flu season. A video recording of the full meeting is available in both English and French. (May 20, 2020)
• Remarks to the Standing Committee on Health: CPhA appeared before the Health Committee to provide a pharmacy perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the crucial role front-line pharmacists are playing caring for patients, the need to protect our drug supply to avoid shortages, and the need for protections for pharmacists. (April 7, 2020)

Protecting and supporting the profession

• National Call to Action in Support of Pharmacy Professionals: Pharmacy professionals require more support from all levels of government to continue to serve their communities and keep themselves and their patients safe and healthy. (January, 18, 2022)
• CPhA encourages all Canadians to wear a non-medical mask/facial covering when visiting a pharmacy: In accordance with the latest information provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), CPhA encourages all Canadians to wear a non-medical mask/facial covering when entering a pharmacy, regardless of symptoms, especially when it is not possible to maintain a 2-metre physical distance from others. (June 9, 2020)
• CPhA receives contribution surgical masks for community pharmacies: CPhA is pleased to announce the distribution of more than 200,000 surgical masks destined for community pharmacies, thanks to a generous financial contribution from Innovative Medicines Canada. (April 28, 2020)
• National survey of community pharmacists and practice challenges during COVID-19: CPhA conducted a survey of Canadian community pharmacists from April 17-21, 2020 to better understanding the challenges they face on the front line of the pandemic as they care for patients.
•  Statement - Supporting and recognizing pharmacists as essential health care providers during COVID-19: We urge the federal government to work immediately with provincial and territorial governments to provide pharmacists and all essential health care providers with the supports they need to continue to serve our communities. (March 25, 2020)
• Joint health stakeholder letter to First Ministers - Protecting and supporting Canada’s health-care providers during COVID-19: CPhA, along with the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association and the Canadian Association of Social Workers, sent a joint letter to Canada’s First Ministers calling for measures to provide front line health and social providers with personal protective equipment as well as clear and consistent information and guidelines. (March 23, 2020)
• Open letter to the Government of Canada: CPhA issued an open letter to the Government of Canada, co-signed by more than a dozen other national and provincial organizations, urging for a coordinated plan to ensure pharmacists have access to personal protective equipment (March 18, 2020)