Pharmacists release principles to guide pay for performance pharmacy programs in Canada

January 9, 2019 (Ottawa): The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) has released a series of guiding principles for payers to follow during the development of pay for performance pharmacy programs in Canada. The principles were developed by a working group comprised of a range of Canadian pharmacy leaders following an evaluation of evidence of pay for performance initiatives around the world, as well as the impact of these initiatives on patient outcomes and pharmacy practice.

As drug experts and health care professionals, pharmacists want to ensure that the patient-pharmacist relationship is protected. These programs must not be a barrier for pharmacists to exercise their clinical expertise and professional autonomy to practice in the best interest of patient health and safety. Any new program, above all, should be designed to target outcomes with proven benefits to patients.

“Pharmacists and pharmacies strive to provide the best possible care to our patients on a daily basis and we are always looking to find ways to innovate and improve the services and the level of care that we offer,” said Christine Hrudka, Chair, CPhA. “As the national voice of Canada’s pharmacists, CPhA supports continuous quality improvement through programs that are designed to improve patient outcomes and are firmly rooted and supported by evidence.”

The principles outline pharmacy’s perspective on some of the key elements that any future pay for performance program should follow, including the importance of getting pharmacy input early on in the design of the programs; ensuring that programs are harmonized across payers and regulators; minimizing the cost of implementation for pharmacy; and, most importantly, ensuring that any measurements are achievable, transparent and evidence-based.

About the Canadian Pharmacists Association

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is the uniting national voice of pharmacy and the pharmacist profession in Canada. As pharmacists undertake an enhanced role in the delivery of health care services, CPhA ensures that the profession is recognized as a national leader in health care, influencing the policies, programs, budgets and initiatives affecting the profession and the health of Canadians.