New primary care clinics to expand services at N.S. pharmacies

When Alvin Thompkins graduated from pharmacy school 22 years ago, he had a vision of the way he wanted to work. Starting Wednesday, that vision comes to fruition.

"This is something we've been waiting for for a long time," Thompkins told reporters and officials assembled in his Dartmouth, N.S., pharmacy on Tuesday.

Thompkins's site is one of 12 pharmacies that will begin offering clinical appointments free of charge to the public in February for things such as minor ailments and chronic disease management.

Previously, such consultations would have come with a fee.

The appointments at the 12 sites are being funded by the provincial government with the aim to expand access to primary care for people, at a time when emergency departments are overrun and almost 130,000 people are waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

The expanded services were first touched upon earlier this month, when the provincial government announced a slate of changes to address emergency department pressures.

Each pharmacy, which has had to fund their own renovations to accommodate clinic space, will receive $7,000 a month to cover the cost of the additional clinical work and to ensure there are enough workers on site.

"It won't take away from what happens at the counter, but it actually is an additional resource," Health Minister Michelle Thompson told reporters.

"What I would say is the funding model has caught up now with the scope of practice, in order for us to enable pharmacists to deliver primary care."

The 12 sites were picked based on areas of the province with the greatest need for primary care services. Thompson said she expects the number of participating pharmacies to expand in the spring.

Allison Bodnar, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, called the setup the model of the future. The clinics will offer 40 hours of appointments in 15-minute blocks each week. People will be able to book same day appointments online or by phone.

Bodnar predicted the clinics will also help with recruitment.

"When we talk about this scope of practice, pharmacists have been trained to work this way for the better part of 20, 25 years and they've been waiting desperately across this country and elsewhere to be able to fully utilize their skills."

Although the expanded services are only being offered at pharmacies participating in the pilot, some free services are offered at all pharmacies in Nova Scotia, including treating and prescribing for uncomplicated bladder infections, shingles and birth control.