More than 11,000 provincial pharmacy clients can now obtain their prescriptions at their local pharmacy following the successful reorganization of two major provincial pharmacy programs.
Beginning in May, all oral diabetes drugs and medications for social assistance clients were transferred from the provincial pharmacy to community pharmacies throughout the Island. More than 10,600 prescriptions for 1,205 diabetes clients and 2,236 social assistance clients were transferred. Clients can now pick up their prescriptions at their local pharmacy rather than travelling to the provincial pharmacy in Charlottetown or waiting to receive them through the mail.
"With the tremendous cooperation of clients, staff, and community pharmacists, the project has now been successfully completed and we are able to offer a much higher quality service," advised Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem. "Clients have safer and easier access to their medications and information about how to take them properly."
Paul Gallant, PEI Pharmaceutical Association president, said clients have responded very positively to the change. "They enjoy the convenience of being able to get their prescriptions close to home. They like our longer hours and being able to get one-on-one advice and information about their prescriptions from their own pharmacist who has their whole medication profile," he said.
To get their prescriptions, clients simply present their personal health card. Herman McQuaid, Director of Health Informatics with the Department of Health and Social Services, advised that the project is an excellent example of how information technology is enabling the health system to improve services to clients. "We are now electronically connected to all local pharmacies. When clients present their personal health card, their local pharmacist can access their medication profile and electronically bill the Department for services. With this system, we can now provide equitable access to pharmacy services in communities throughout the Island."
Minister Ballem acknowledged the exemplary effort of all staff who implemented new processes and worked evenings and weekends transferring prescriptions and responding to client calls for information.
The reorganization is part of the provincial pharmacy continuous quality improvement program and a response to a recommendation of the 1998 accreditation review of the health system. The diabetes and social assistance programs are two of 27 provincial drug programs administered by the provincial pharmacy.