Pharmacy Pilot Project 

The Integrating Pharmacists into Primary Care Networks pilot project started in April 2006 to improve medication therapy and patient outcomes. Funds for the $4 million project are now fully committed and it is now in the implementation phase along with an evaluation component. There were 30 pharmacists who participated and PCNs who have not yet fully expended their allocations are required to do so by March 31, 2010.

In the project, pharmacists engaged by PCNs work collaboratively with patients, physicians and other allied health professionals offering clinical services for challenging, complex and chronic care patients. 

The project promotes the structured medication review (SMR), an important principal clinical service provided by pharmacists that identifies, prevents and resolves drug-related problems in patients.

In addition to SMRs, pharmacists also provide other value-added services:

• Anti-coagulation management where pharmacists support INR clinics and manage patients on warfarin
• Smoking cessation counseling
• Drug education for patients and health care providers, both individually and in groups
• Medication reconciliations with post discharge patients to reduce hospital readmissions due to adverse drug events
• Patient home visits
• Consultation for chronic pain, chronic disease management and palliative care
• Work as Certified Diabetic Educators and Certified Asthmatic Educators
• Services for unattached patients with chronic disease
• Hypertension quality improvement initiatives
• Assistance in Home Care with medication assistance programs
• Request for drug information from physicians
• Linkages with regional, community and continuing care pharmacies and pharmacists

For more information contact the PCI Program Management Office at 780.488.4350 or email: info@albertapci.ca.