Pharmaprix Pilot Project Complete Success

Green Light for Pharmaprix’s Pharmacy Care Clinics

Montreal, Quebec, September 23, 2024 — Following a year-long pilot project by 5 pharmacist-owners affiliated with Pharmaprix, the banner announces that 20 more pharmacies will be equipped with care clinics by the beginning of 2025. Managed entirely by pharmacists, this innovative clinic concept gives Quebecers quick and convenient access to various aspects of quality primary care.

With an average surface area of 450 ft2, these Pharmacy care clinics have a reception, a waiting room and private consultation rooms that ensure complete patient-pharmacist confidentiality. Several services are available, including hormonal contraception and treatment for shingles, acne, urinary tract infections and allergic rhinitis. Pharmacists can also administer vaccines and monitor and adjust medication for various chronic issues, such as blood pressure, diabetes and hypothyroidism, helping patients to achieve their treatment goals.

By making health care more accessible to patients, with longer opening hours, more technology and online booking systems, Pharmacy care clinics are helping relieve the pressure on the Quebec health system.

A successful pilot project

It goes without saying that all components of such concepts must be evaluated before large-scale roll out can be considered. This is the ultimate goal of a pilot project. Five pharmacies were part of this first pilot, and the results met the expectations of the pharmacist-owners affiliated with Pharmaprix:

• More than 30,000 patients were seen in these Pharmacy care clinics;

• Nearly 10,000 consultations were held for common health problems such as urinary tract infections in women, gastric reflux and eczema;

• Pharmacists monitored 9,000 patients with chronic diseases, with 20% of these reaching their treatment goals (five times more than in pharmacies without care clinics), thereby reducing the potential for complications that would be costly for the health system;

• Some 1,675 rapid strep tests were also performed, accelerating access to treatment for patients who test positive and limiting negative impacts;

• In terms of immunization, these pharmacies administered 2.5 times more vaccines than pharmacies without a care clinic.

Since 2021, several new services have been delegated to pharmacists, and the public can obtain full reimbursement for these. This has led pharmacist-owners affiliated with Pharmaprix to rethink how services are offered within their pharmacies. In addition, with Bill 67, the government intends to broaden pharmacists’ scope of practice and introduce a more agile regulatory framework, allowing the profession to adapt and evolve more easily to meet the needs of the population and the health system.

Jean Thiffault, Vice President of Strategic Development and Professional Affairs at Pharmaprix, believes patients greatly appreciate the easier access to a primary health care professional, especially since these consultations are covered by the Quebec health insurance plan. “With new care clinics being added in the coming weeks, our network will increasingly be able to help reduce the pressure on emergency rooms,” he said.

An attraction and retention factor for pharmacists

“There are currently a very large number of vacant pharmacist roles in Quebec,” added Mr. Thiffault. “These new care clinics elevate the role of the pharmacist. University pharmacy students all aspire to careers involving high-quality direct patient contact. That is exactly what these care clinics offer. They are therefore a powerful attraction and retention factor for us.”

To learn more about the range of pharmacists’ professional activities or to find a location with a pharmacy care clinic, please visit www.pharmaprix.ca/clinics

About Pharmaprix^® 

Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart^® (Pharmaprix^® in Quebec). With more than 1,350 Shoppers Drug Mart^® and Pharmaprix^® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The company also licenses or owns 47 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy^® (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé^® in Quebec). The company also owns and operates 43 corporate Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart^TM stores and an e-commerce site Wellwise.ca, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services; MediSystem Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities; and Lifemark Health Group, Canada’s leading provider of outpatient physiotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, mental health, and other ancillary rehabilitation services. Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix^® is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited.