While the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA) works with government to develop an economic path forward, ACP will continue to pursue a health environment where patients and the health system benefit from the expertise of appropriately supported pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who coordinate and take responsibility for appropriate drug therapy.
Through negotiation with government and with your support, we have achieved the legislation, Standards, and tools that allow pharmacists to:
- Prescribe (the first province to do so in Canada),
- Administer drugs by injection (with the widest scope of application in Canada), and
- Order lab values.
We also worked with government and pharmacy technicians to bring technician regulation into being so that pharmacists could use these new authorities and spend more time on direct patient care and technicians could more appropriately use their skills in dispensing.
Throughout all of our discussions with government, we have always stressed that any initiatives need to support the health system AND pharmacy, particularly community pharmacy as it is most accessible. We will continue to stress this in our work with government.
How you can help us in our discussions with government
We need real-life examples of quality patient care. Tell us how you are using your expanded scope. How are patients benefitting from your expanded scope of practice? How is pharmacist and pharmacy technician care helping your community? Government and Albertans need to hear practical examples of how you are making healthcare in Alberta better. Send your stories to communications@pharmacists.ab.ca.
