Richmond will have three new clinical pharmacists in April working at the hospital and local clinics to give medication-related advice to patients.
The province is recruiting a total of 50 new clinical pharmacists – pharmacists who work in hospitals alongside other health-care workers - in a joint program with UBC’s pharmaceutical faculty.
The $30.9 million Pharmacists in Primary Care Network (PCN) program is being funded by the province over a span of three years.
Clinical pharmacists with the program will work with patients with complex conditions such as chronic health conditions to do one-on-one patient medication reviews.
According to the Ministry of Health, the pharmacists will help patients who have difficulty understanding medication and drug prescription instructions, as well as give their input on medication-related questions to fellow health-care workers.
“Clinical pharmacists are an important part of B.C.’s health-care system as they are one of the more accessible health-care professionals in our communities,” said Adrian Dix, B.C.’s Minister of Health.
“By being part of our team-based model, they will provide a real solution by working directly with patients with complex conditions.”
One clinical pharmacist has already joined the Kootenay Boundary primary care network in January and one in Comox early March.
Eight pharmacists will be joining the primary networks in Vancouver, Richmond, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows and Oceanside next month, while the remaining 30 clinical pharmacists will join the medical teams this fall.
