Progress and priorities: CPhA's strategic focus and year-end milestones
Annette Robinson
Chair, Canadian Pharmacists Association
As I kick off my term as Chair of CPhA, I couldn't be more thrilled to step into the role, which comes at such a dynamic and pivotal time for our profession.
Since taking the reins at our Transforming Primary Care Summit in June, I have spent much of the summer reflecting on what lies ahead and I’m excited to share some of the priorities that will define my time as Chair. There’s a lot in store and I’m proud to say that CPhA is at the forefront of every national pharmacy issue that’s impacting pharmacy practice. The pace of changes has never been faster, and the stakes have never been higher.
Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve been up to this summer and where we hope we’ll be at the end of the year.
Third-party payer advocacy
Our work on third-party payer policies continues to be at the forefront of CPhA’s advocacy efforts. Restrictive payer policies, including the recent service fees imposed by Express Scripts Canada, pose significant barriers to patient care. In addition to a complaint we made to the Competition Bureau earlier this year, we’re working with our provincial associations on a pan-Canadian campaign to advocate for legislation that would regulate third-party payers. In mid-September, we launched a survey to capture Pharmacy Experiences with Third-Party Payers. The data from this survey will provide vital information that we can use to advocate for changes. Please take a few moments to complete the survey and share it with your colleagues.
Pharmacists at the heart of pharmacare
As pharmacare legislation moves through Parliament, CPhA is pushing for pharmacists’ involvement at every stage. While we believe that Canadians would be best served by a universal, mixed payer pharmacare model, it is equally important that pharmacy services be included in the legislation. In our recent meeting with federal Minister of Health Mark Holland, we underscored the importance of pharmacists in the implementation of pharmacare, and we are hopeful that these conversations will lead to pharmacists being included in the forthcoming expert advisory committee.
National educational benchmark initiative
We all know that Canada’s health-care system is under significant strain, with 6.5 million Canadians lacking access to a dedicated primary care provider. Although many jurisdictions in Canada have made incredible progress in the last few years, too many pharmacists in Canada cannot practice to their full education and training. In response, CPhA has developed a clear benchmark that defines the full scope of pharmacist education and training. This benchmark will serve as a guide for federal, provincial, and territorial governments to align their regulations with these competencies. By empowering pharmacists to practice to their full education, we can significantly expand access to primary care and help relieve the mounting pressures on the health-care system. We are nearing the final phase of consultations and will soon launch an impactful national advocacy campaign. Stay tuned.
Building a sustainable workforce
CPhA remains committed to ensuring a sustainable and well-supported pharmacy workforce. Our federally funded IPG Mentorship and Integration Project is now in full swing, providing unlicensed International Pharmacy Graduates with learning opportunities, mentorship and practical experiences. This project is crucial in addressing the growing demand for pharmacists across Canada while ensuring these graduates are integrated successfully into the workforce.
Delivering relevant and valuable content
On the content front, we’re continuously evolving to ensure we’re providing you with the tools and solutions that help you in your day-to-day practice. As part of our efforts to address systemic bias in our therapeutic content, we launched the Dermatological Considerations in Skin of Colour in the spring. We’ve also introduced the CPS User Group, a diverse collective of health professionals from across Canada, who will meet regularly to share their experiences and explore new ways to increase the value CPS provides to both practitioners and patients.
As we advance these initiatives, I am excited about what we will achieve together in the coming weeks and months. I believe that through our collective efforts, we can create a health-care environment where pharmacists are empowered to make the fullest impact on patient care. Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to sharing more updates on our progress in the days ahead.
Annette Robinson
Chair, CPhA