Primary care clinics in pharmacies exceed expectations: Pharmacy association

Spend 10 minutes at the pharmacy at Shopper’s Drug Mart on Wyse Road in Dartmouth, N.S., and you’ll notice a lot of foot traffic.

Some patients are there to pick up prescriptions but others are there for an appointment to see a pharmacist.

“I booked it this morning and got an appointment this afternoon,” said Amanda Coakley, who was there to try to get an assessment and medication for her four-year-old son.

The pharmacy is one of 12 in Nova Scotia with a primary care clinic -- a set-up similar to a doctor’s office where a pharmacist dedicates their day to seeing patients.

The pilot started earlier this month and already the clinic is fully booked most days. It seems to be offering relief to a hurting health-care system as tens of thousands of Nova Scotians feel the pain of not having a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

“One of the more common things we’re helping is patients that don’t have [a] family doctor right now,” pharmacy owner Alvin Thompkins said. “Helping them renewing their medications.”

The model is being described as a game-changer by the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS). Its CEO, Allison Bodnar, noted the program is already exceeding expectations.

“I was at a couple of the grand openings yesterday and team members came up to me and said ‘this is a dream come true. This is what I went to pharmacy school to do. I’ve been waiting for this for 10 years,’” said Bodnar.

She said 12 more clinics will open across Nova Scotia in May.

“We should get to the point where we are utilizing all 318 of our pharmacy teams this way,” Bodnar said.

Pharmacists are trained to assess and prescribe for a long list of needs or ailments such as strep throat, birth control, shingles treatment and more. Bodnar believes this model is helping to maximize a pharmacist's skillset.

“We’re just another touchpoint I guess for patients and we are able to manage some patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension,” Thompkins said.

While walk-ins are available, Thompkins recommends booking an appointment in advance.