Pharmacists CAN: New campaign calls on governments to enable pharmacists to use their full education

To mark the start of Pharmacy Appreciation Month (PAM) 2026, CPhA recently launched PharmacistsCAN.ca, a new national advocacy campaign focused on closing the gap between what pharmacists are educated to do and what they are authorized to do in practice.

Pharmacists are educated and trained to provide a broad range of front-line health-care services, yet in many parts of Canada they are not able to use their full education in practice. Significant variation in scope from one province and territory to the next creates uneven access to care. Pharmacists CAN aims to help governments and the public better understand pharmacists’ training and why enabling pharmacists to practise to the full extent of their education, and funding those services appropriately, can improve timely access for patients.

Put simply, pharmacists are educated to provide more care than they are currently authorized to deliver in many parts of Canada.

“Pharmacists spend years training to deliver a broad range of clinical services,” said Sadaf Faisal, Acting Vice President, Public and Professional Affairs at CPhA. “Enabling pharmacists to fully use that education not only improves access to care for patients, it also allows pharmacy professionals to practise at the level they were trained for and bring their full value to Canada’s health-care system.”

The campaign builds on the National Benchmark for Pharmacy Practice, released in September 2025, which outlines the health-care services pharmacists in Canada are educated to provide across five key areas of practice. Endorsed by the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC), the Benchmark provides a clear national reference point for pharmacists’ education and training.

Pharmacists CAN takes the case for enabling pharmacists to practise to the full extent of their education, as defined in the Benchmark, directly to Canadians and decision-makers. Through PharmacistsCAN.ca, Canadians can see the gap between pharmacists’ education and what they are currently allowed to do in their province or territory and, in just a few clicks, send a letter to their elected representatives calling for legislative and regulatory changes.

When pharmacists are allowed to do what they are educated and trained to do—assess and prescribe for common conditions, support chronic disease management, administer vaccines, conduct point-of-care testing, order and interpret lab tests and adapt prescriptions when appropriate—patients benefit from more timely access to care, and the health system functions more efficiently.

What to expect during PAM and beyond

PharmacistsCAN.ca launched to coincide with PAM 2026 and serves as the central hub for campaign engagement. Throughout March and into the spring, the campaign will roll out a series of videos filmed in community pharmacies, showcasing real-world examples of pharmacists delivering front-line care. A national digital awareness campaign will run alongside targeted outreach to political and regulatory decision-makers to build momentum for legislative and regulatory change.

The Benchmark defines what pharmacists are educated to do. Pharmacists CAN is about ensuring they are fully enabled to do it.