October is Pharmacists Month | Let’s Celebrate Together!
Every October, we celebrate pharmacists with Pharmacists Month! Today I’m sharing a guest blog post by Kimberly Sentes, a Canadian Pharmacist!
Embracing Our Expanded Scope of Practice – A Canadian Pharmacist’s Perspective
Over the last decade, Canadian pharmacists are embracing their expanded scope of practices across the country. As a community pharmacist, I can now complete extensive medication reviews, counsel patients on smoking cessation therapy, provide cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, provide injections for any drug or vaccine and prescribe medications for minor ailments and in emergency circumstances. Many patients still think we are just behind the counter to fill their prescription just as the doctor wrote! It’s a good thing that my pharmacy has three private counseling rooms, which is a must for our expanding scope. Note to patients, make sure that your community pharmacist is always accessible to you for a consultation and preferably able to sit with you in a private space.
Our electronic health records in Saskatchewan are robust and assist us in providing a high level of patient care to everyone. To be able to provide a high level of patient-focused care, the electronic health record (eHR) has been developing at various speeds across the country. In many provinces, community pharmacists have access to a complete medication profile regardless of where the medications are filled, laboratory results, microbiology, pathology, hospital discharge summaries and immunization records. In many provinces, pharmacists can even order and interpret laboratory results. Here is great chart that summarizes the current landscape of Canadian pharmacists’ scope of practice.
Along with added responsibility, pharmacists’ role to document and improve medication safety is on the forefront of many licensing bodies in Canada. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada is providing tools and assistance to the profession for keeping patients safe. In Saskatchewan as of November 1st, all community pharmacies must report errors and near misses to the Community Pharmacy Incident Reporting Program. This is an anonymous reporting program that assists community pharmacists “to share the lessons learned from medication incidents and prevent similar incidents from occurring.” (Source) Focusing on developing protocols that protect the patient, instead of placing blame on an individual health care professional is key to making our healthcare system safe!
All in a days work! As a community pharmacist, there is never a dull moment. Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to elevate patient care is extremely rewarding and key to our expanded scope. At the end of the day, the benefit to the patient is evident! Canadian pharmacists are an integral part of the healthcare system and we have been embracing our expanded scope with gratification of finally being able to practice to our full scope!
About the Author:
Kimberly Sentes graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in 1996 and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Regina in 1992. She has worked in independent community pharmacy practice in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan. She is passionate about health informatics and is a clinical consultant with eHealth Saskatchewan. She also dedicates time to eHealth’s Peer to Peer Network offering clinical expertise in the utilization of electronic health solutions to elevate patient care.
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Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.