As millions of Canadians continue to navigate long waits, provider shortages and overcrowded emergency rooms, one solution is emerging clearly from the public: let pharmacies do more.
New national polling from the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) and Abacus Data shows that more than 75 per cent of Canadians support an expanded scope of pharmacy services. Their message is practical and urgent: unlock more care at the pharmacy level to improve timely access, reduce pressure on hospitals and better serve rural and remote communities.
“Nearly one in four Canadians still do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner,” notes Sandra Hanna, CEO of Neighbourhood Pharmacies. “More people are leaning on pharmacies to fill critical gaps in their care. Pharmacies are proud of their role as primary care hubs—helping patients get the care they need quickly and easing the load on hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices.”
Over the past several years, many provinces have taken incremental steps in that direction, authorizing pharmacists to:
- Assess and treat a broader list of minor ailments
- Administer an expanding range of vaccines
- Offer more point-of-care diagnostic testing
These changes proved their value during the pandemic, when pharmacies played a central role in vaccination, medication management and front-line triage. Now, the public appetite for pharmacy-based care is growing even stronger.
Neighbourhood Pharmacies says Canada’s pharmacies are ready to take on even more responsibility to strengthen primary care and improve system efficiency. The association is working with federal and provincial partners to:
- Expand scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy teams
- Remove regulatory barriers that limit practice across provincial borders
- Grow workforce capacity to meet rising demand
- Build greater financial stability for the sector so services can be sustained
Canadians are clearly on side. In the latest polling, nearly eight in ten respondents said they believe the health system becomes more efficient and more accessible when pharmacies introduce additional services.
“People across Canada view pharmacies and their teams as trusted front-line providers of everyday care,” says Hanna. “We are honoured to have earned that trust, and with the right support, pharmacies are committed to ensuring more patients get timely care, when it can have the greatest impact.”
For IHR readers—pharmacy owners, managers, and health retailers—this trend is more than a data point. It is a roadmap. As scope expands, pharmacies can:
- Integrate more clinical services into the front of store and dispensary
- Connect health products, supplements and diagnostics with point-of-care consultations
- Position themselves as accessible, neighbourhood primary care hubs
The opportunity is to align operations, staffing, training and product mix with what Canadians already say they want: more care, closer to home, delivered by teams they trust.
