The below article was published in ACP’s 2024-24 annual report. Read the full annual report on the ACP website.
You don’t have to spend much time in Canmore, Alberta, to realize it’s a special place. With its magnificent mountain scenery and plethora of outdoor activities to choose from, the quality of life for Canmore residents is almost as good as it gets. However, just like most communities in Alberta, access to healthcare services— particularly family physicians—can be challenging.
Pharmacist Viren Dobariya has been practising in Alberta since 2014 and a year later earned his additional prescribing authorization.
In 2016, he opened the Three Sisters Pharmacy in Canmore, named after the town’s famous mountain peaks. Recently, Viren recognized the need for more access to clinical services in the town of 16,000 residents.
“I have been prescribing for a long time, but in the last few years, I have noticed a shortage of physicians here,” said Viren. “This has led to people ending up in urgent care for minor conditions such as urinary tract infections, sore throats, skin conditions, and ear infections. These conditions are urgent for the patient but are not conditions that they should have to access a hospital for. Patients could end up waiting at the hospital for five, six, or seven hours for treatment. I felt compelled to respond to these needs, so patients don’t end up in emergency unless they really need to.”
To help meet the demand for clinical services in Canmore, Viren renovated his pharmacy. Additional patient counselling rooms have increased his capacity to conduct patient assessments for conditions he feels competent to treat on his own. For more complicated or serious conditions beyond his capacity to assess, Viren refers patients to a medical clinic or, if necessary, the emergency department.
“It’s a good opportunity for pharmacists to offer these services, either at initial access or as part of continuing care,” said Viren. “There was a time here in Canmore that we were short more than 10 doctors. Even for ongoing prescriptions people have been taking for a long time, there was no one here to monitor their bloodwork or continue therapy.”
Before Viren altered the layout of his pharmacy, he applied to ACP to renovate. He submitted all the necessary forms and the proposed floor plan online, and received approval from the college to get to work, all in a timely manner.
“It was very smooth. ACP is very transparent with the process,” said Viren. “After the renovation was finished, the college inspector came out to have a look and make sure it was completed according to plan and met all the regulatory requirements.”
Now, Viren’s pharmacy has three private consultation rooms. He also let the medical clinics in town know that he had expanded his pharmacy’s capacity to provide clinical services. When clinics are unable to take walk-in patients or book timely appointments for patients with minor conditions, the clinics refer patients to Viren for a same-day appointment.
“It is beneficial for the community at large,” said Viren. “We work in collaboration with the physicians. Every time we prescribe for a patient, we notify their physician, so they know what we prescribed, what the patient is expecting from the therapy, and what we expect as the outcome. This way, the physician and the clinic staff know everything that’s going on.”
Canmore resident Charlene Deck regularly visits Viren’s pharmacy. It’s her “neighbourhood pharmacy” as she calls it, and she appreciates the easy access to quality care.
“It’s incredibly important,” said Charlene. “Viren is exceptional. He exudes competence. He can answer any question I have. Recently, I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, and I had to stop taking it. It would have been more than a week to be able to see my doctor, so I was grateful that I could talk to Viren. He was able to prescribe an alternative for me that worked.”
The level of care Viren provides to his patients doesn’t end with prescribing. He will also follow up with patients a few days later, depending on when they might expect to see improvement from therapy.
“It’s really nice to know that someone cares and follows up with you,” said Charlene.
More and more pharmacy teams in Alberta are choosing to expand their capacity to provide clinical services to their communities. Viren believes this trend will continue.
“I think we will see it more and more,” said Viren. “We have had positive feedback from our patients. They seem to be happy with the service and the outcomes. Patients feel that they are taking ownership of their therapy. When we prescribe, we discuss treatment alternatives with each patient, and together find the best solution for them.”
Because of the feedback he’s received, and the demand for his services, Viren gets a tremendous amount of satisfaction from the difference he is making for his community.
“It is a very pleasant feeling to work like this,” said Viren. “When you prescribe something for a patient and you call them in three days and they tell you they are feeling way better, that’s what you want as a pharmacist—to see your patient feeling better. It makes it all worthwhile.”
