The Pharmacist Care Clinic pilot, which has offered chronic disease management for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, as well as assessment and testing for Strep A at six pilot pharmacies around the province, has concluded with a report showing the tremendous impact an expanded role for pharmacists could have in improving access to health care in New Brunswick.
“March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month, and we want to thank the six pharmacies that led this very successful pilot,” said Anne Marie Picone, executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association. “They offered these services to the public at no cost and with no reimbursement during the pilot phase to demonstrate what pharmacists can do. The data collected during this pilot is very persuasive and will be used to support our advocacy efforts for an expanded role for pharmacists.”
Picone said pilot data collected by the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) over a six-month period shows the clinics were highly effective at improving access to health care. NB-IRDT’s final report notes chronic disease management patients received a continuity of care they would not otherwise be able to access without having a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
“Our analysis indicates that pharmacist-led clinics were utilized by patients who may not have had other accessible options for primary care,” said Dr. Chris Folkins, Sr. Research Scientist, NB-IRDT. “Follow-up visits for chronic disease management were relatively common, particularly among clients unattached to a primary care provider, demonstrating the ability of the clinics to provide continuity of care.”
The data shows 88 per cent of patients were able to get an appointment within two days, and 100 per cent of patients surveyed said they would recommend the clinics to family. The pilot pharmacists handled 10,365 appointments during the six-month data collection period, and approximately 27,000 appointments during the 16 months of clinic operations.
Picone said the data shows the potential for new approaches to delivering primary care and provides clear evidence of the impact pharmacists could have in any collaborative care model.
“We are in discussions with the provincial government to determine the best approach for expanding public coverage so that pharmacists can use their existing education and qualifications to improve access to health care for New Brunswickers,” Picone said.