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Guest Post: UBC Pharmacy Residents Spend a Week at the College
Did you know that there are over 40 staff employed at the College of Pharmacists of BC, who support 5,810 pharmacists and 1,338 pharmacy technicians?
Although the mandate of the College is to protect and serve the public through the regulation of pharmacy practice, we have come to see this body as another driving force for the expanding scope of pharmacists. As part of the UBC Community Residency Program, we had the opportunity to spend a week discovering the individual roles of College staff and the processes and procedures required for regulation. We were able to witness the College craft policy and procedures through the engagement of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, patient advocacy groups, and regulating bodies from other provinces, such as in the case of medical assistance in dying (MAID).
In addition, we attended a College engagement session on palliative care home kits. Under the Palliative Care Program, community pharmacists have been providing home kits for symptom management to individuals choosing to live out their last days in the comforts of their own home. This practice originated over 10 years ago in BC from within the Health Authorities, and was outsourced to community pharmacies without clear provincial standards, policies, and procedures. The goal of the engagement session was to gain insight into what current practices look like and to brainstorm how standards and guidelines can be developed to ensure continuity of patient care. This is a great example of how the College continues to modernize legislation by engaging with registrants and other stakeholders.
Looking towards the future of pharmacy, the College has also been tirelessly engaging pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the discussion surrounding pharmacist prescribing. This week we were able to hear from three patient advocacy groups and gain their feedback on the Certified Pharmacist Prescriber Initiative. These groups primarily focused on how interprofessional collaboration, communication, and trust would each play a central role in the program’s success. The concept was more palatable to this group in the context of particular care settings that are inherently interdisciplinary. In the community, patients were more likely to accept pharmacist prescribing when scenarios were given which not only improved the timeliness and access of care, but were clearly within the scope of a pharmacists’ knowledge.
Another eye-opening experience was the amount of strategic planning involved in their processes. We arrived here June 6, 2016, the day all Canadians were expecting federal legislation surrounding the topic of MAID, and the College was no different. Whether they worked in the Communications and Engagement, Legislature and Policy, or Practice Support department, the College had a list of possible outcomes, and were ready to hit the ground running with pre-printed orders and procedures to support pharmacists who choose to participate in the delivery of MAID services. No matter the scenario, rest assured, the College was ready.
We would like to acknowledge the College for their support of the Community Residency Program, and for continuing to engage with students, residents, registrants, and members of the public to foster a pharmacy practice which lends itself to better patient outcomes.
Andrea Silver is a practicing pharmacist completing a post-graduate residency in pharmacy with community focus. A graduate from McMaster University and UBC, she combines her interests in neuroscience and pharmaceutical sciences by continuing to learn and engage in the clinical worlds of mental health and addiction, and chronic disease management.
Andrew Cobleigh graduated from UBC with a HBSc in Animal Biology in 2009, a BScPh in 2015 and is completing a Community Pharmacy Residency. He previously worked in community pharmacy with MacDonalds' Prescriptions from 2011-2015, as well as a personal fitness trainer from 2008-2012 empowering others to optimize their health. After the residency he will be working as a Clinical Pharmacist within the Fraser Health Authority and is excited to collaborate with an inter-professional health care team providing medication management services.
- UBC, Guest Post