Mother nature’s fury is all around us: floods of the century, wildfires so intense they are creating their own weather systems within them. Watching the daily news is like watching a dystopian movie where it’s hard to fathom what more can happen and what comes next.
These summer blazes are not new to B.C., but what is new is how many, how large they are and the thousands of people that are being displaced. People are living in school auditoriums unsure if they will have homes and the lives they knew to return to. I can only imagine the additional stress people face who have an ongoing need for prescription drugs. Where will they get their next prescription? What happens if there is no home to go back to and no regular prescriber?
I have thought about the ordinary challenges patients face to get a regular prescriber and ensure they maintain a consistent medication regimen. But what about all those displaced by these natural disasters? Who do they turn to?
I believe we are well past the time when pharmacists should be prescribing for stable chronic diseases. And this summer’s catastrophes show the urgency of doing this. We must adapt to the challenges of climate change and its impact on our world, and we must also adapt our medical system to deal with the demand the displacement of so many people creates. A more responsive care system needs to be in place, particularly for non-urgent situations such as ensuring people with chronic diseases have the medications they need.
Climate change is challenging us all to do things differently. In this context, the need is urgent to use the health care teams’ most accessible provider, pharmacists. The profession is more than equipped to assess and prescribe medications for patients with stable chronic diseases. They have the information they need on PharmaNet and have been enabled to order lab tests for patients.
As we saw with minor ailments, pharmacists are filling a huge need. Patients who see pharmacists are getting the care they need, when they need it. Pharmacists are accessible, often available seven days a week, including after hours, and patients who see pharmacists are being treated quickly.
Challenging times present opportunities. We saw this with COVID. And now we need to move to meet the need and enable pharmacists to prescribe for stable chronic diseases.
Geraldine Vance
Chief Executive Officer
BC Pharmacy Association