Ontario Pharmacists Association and Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada congratulate Doug Ford on winning provincial election

TORONTO, June 22, 2018 /CNW/ - The Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) and the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) congratulate Premier-designate Doug Ford on a successful campaign in the recent provincial election.

The pharmacy profession looks forward to partnering with the Ford government to end "hallway medicine", and improve the health outcomes of Ontarians.

OPA and Neighbourhood Pharmacies also offer their congratulations to newly elected candidates and re-elected MPPs of all parties and look forward to working with them on delivering solutions that will improve patient outcomes, create delivery capacity, and increase accessibility to care in Ontario.

Ontario's 16,000 pharmacists and 4,600 pharmacy technicians work across 4,500 pharmacies in Ontario. They are the most accessible front-line healthcare providers who can alleviate healthcare pressures such as wait times in emergency rooms and physicians' offices through the Ontario Pharmacy four-point strategy that would:

1)  Enable patients to see a trained pharmacist close to home for the assessment and, if necessary, treatment of common ailments such as pink eye, cold sores, acne and uncomplicated skin infections, to name just a few;

2)  Allow patients to receive publicly-funded immunizations, such as shingles and pneumonia vaccines for less mobile patients and seniors from trained pharmacists whom the public already trusts for the administration of flu shots and travel vaccines;

3) Ensure patients' medications are being appropriately monitored in real-time for potential toxicities and effectiveness through pharmacist-administered point-of-care testing such as A1C for diabetes, INR for blood disorders or lipids for cardiovascular health; and

4) Provide patients with safe and clinical oversight as well as advice and guidance from pharmacists by shifting the dispensing of non-combustible medicinal cannabis products to community pharmacies so that it is fully aligned with the dispensing protocols seen with all other prescription products, including their capture onto the patients' medication profile.

Ontario pharmacists are laser-focused on the health of their patients. Implementing measures to expand pharmacists' abilities to provide care would enable our new Ontario government to increase capacity throughout the health system, providing alternative levels of care and capacity in ways that are cost-effective, beneficial to patients, and supportive of a more collaborative team-based model of enhanced inter-professional care. Ontarians deserve the very best from their healthcare professionals, and Ontario's pharmacy professionals are willing and have the training and capability to do more to strengthen our healthcare system and relieve the strains and everyday frustrations patients and healthcare providers are experiencing. By rethinking pharmacy services, together we can improve health outcomes for Ontarians.

About the Ontario Pharmacists Association

The Ontario Pharmacists Association is committed to evolving the pharmacy profession, and advocating for excellence in practice and patient care. OPA is Canada's largest advocacy organization, and professional development and drug information provider for pharmacy professionals across Ontario. By leveraging the unique expertise of pharmacy professionals, enabling them to practise to their fullest potential, and making them more accessible to patients, OPA is working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system. The pharmacy sector plays a strong role in Ontario with an economic impact of more than $6.3 billion across 4,500 pharmacies, employing 60,000 Ontarians.

About the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada

Neighbourhood Pharmacies represents the business of pharmacy and advocates for Canada's leading pharmacy brands who deliver high-value, quality care to Canadians. Our members represent all models of care including chain, banner, long-term care and specialty pharmacies as well as grocery chains and mass merchandisers with pharmacies. Our focus is on improving the delivery-of-care environment for pharmacy while fostering the right conditions for business success. By leveraging over 10,000 points of care from coast to coast, with pharmacies conveniently located in every neighbourhood across Canada, Neighbourhood Pharmacies aims to advance sustainable, equitable and excellent healthcare for all Canadians. The Neighbourhood Pharmacies platform brings a pan-Canadian perspective with learnings from other jurisdictions and represents the entire pharmacy ecosystem.

Background: The Ontario Pharmacy Platform

SOURCE Ontario Pharmacists Association