Ontarians encouraged to consult medication experts during Pharmacist Awareness Week

TORONTO, March 3, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Pharmacists' Association is encouraging Ontarians to speak with their pharmacist during Pharmacist Awareness Week, March 6-12 - before beginning their spring vacations.

"Pharmacists are highly trained and accessible health professionals, and the experts in medication," said Janet McCutchon, Chair of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association. "Whether patients are planning to travel or staying close to home, their pharmacist can provide valuable advice and information that can help keep them and their families healthy."

When patients use one pharmacy, the team there can develop a personalized medication record to help identify potential drug interactions and other issues. This is especially important when a patient has been prescribed multiple medications by several different prescribers.

Pharmacists work closely with other health professionals to advise on potential side effects, interactions and any necessary adjustments to medications. They also help patients make sense of new health information, and help them adhere to treatment plans. They can show patients how to monitor blood pressure, use an inhaler, and test blood sugar levels. They provide advice on how to quit smoking. They also provide many other services, ranging from screening for cholesterol and diabetes management, to hosting flu shot clinics.

For patients preparing for vacations, their pharmacist can help adjust dosing schedules to avoid missing doses when travelling across time zones. The pharmacist can also provide advice on how to avoid travel sickness, how to prevent traveller's diarrhea, and which regions of the world require additional vaccinations. The pharmacist can review a patient's medications, ensuring none has expired, and provide a complete medication list. Patients are advised to carry their medications with them rather than in checked luggage, whenever possible.

"Spring is also a good time to clean out the medicine cabinet, and return expired medications to pharmacies for proper disposal," McCutchon said.

About the Ontario Pharmacists' Association

The Ontario Pharmacists' Association is the professional association that represents the views and interests of more than 12,000 pharmacists and pharmacists-in-training across the province. The Association works to inspire excellence in the profession and practice of pharmacy, and to promote wellness for patients.

McGuinty government to slash funding for local pharmacy services

Cuts will limit access for seniors and chronically ill patients


TORONTO, April 7, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Pharmacists across Ontario expressed alarm for their patients given the McGuinty government's plan to slash funding for pharmacy services. The massive funding cuts, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year, will put community health care services at risk, and directly contradict the government's promises to make new health services more convenient and accessible through pharmacies. Pharmacists in Ontario fear their ability to be available to their patients will be severely reduced.

"I'm deeply concerned that these cuts will have a severe impact on front-line health care delivery across Ontario," said Donnie Edwards, a pharmacist in Port Colborne. "Patients need to receive quick, helpful, and in-depth assistance from their local pharmacist - especially elderly patients and those with chronic conditions. By cutting millions of dollars in pharmacy funding, the McGuinty government is reducing access to this essential healthcare resource."

Observers predict the latest round of cuts will force pharmacies to reduce operating hours and one-on-one patient consultations. In some locations, pharmacies are expected to close due to the anticipated funding gap. Extended wait times for pharmacy services will become the norm, much like those experienced for emergency services, medical specialists and other essential medical services.

"For neighbourhood pharmacies, the government's cuts will mean reduced hours of operation, less staff, and fewer patient services," said Ben Shenouda, a community pharmacist in Brampton and president of the Independent Pharmacists Association of Ontario. "Health care cuts hurt patients - and this multi-million-dollar cut will hurt a lot of vulnerable patients across the province. Pharmacists will fight hard to stop this cut, on behalf of the thousands of patients we treat every day."

About Ontario's Community Pharmacies


The Ontario's Community Pharmacies coalition is the unified voice of community pharmacy in Ontario, representing independent owner-operated stores, "banner" groups of independently-owned stores that work together, as well as large and small pharmacy chains. The coalition is supported by the associations and organizations that represent both the profession and the neighbourhood business of pharmacy, including the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, the Independent Pharmacists of Ontario, the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores and the Ontario Chain Drug Association.