Alberta touts $77M expansion of pharmacy clinics as win for public health care

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Alberta’s authorities is celebrating a four-year $77-million funding from Consumers Drug Mart to broaden its pharmacy clinics throughout the province, saying it is going to ease strain on a strained public well being care system.

The objective is to have 103 whole pharmacy care clinics beneath the company banner throughout the province by the tip of this 12 months – a rise of 44 places.

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Consumers Drug Mart President Jeff Leger stated at a authorities information convention Thursday the cash has been dedicated to increasing and renovating clinics since 2022 throughout the province and to “assist tackle a number of the rising calls for on the general public system at present.”

“The clinics are serving to to backstop the provincial well being care system by enhancing affected person expertise and growing entry to main care, giving Albertans extra choices once they want them,” stated Leger, who added for the reason that first opened in Lethbridge in 2022, some 200,000 Albertans have visited the corporate’s pharmacy clinics.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith referred to as the clinics a “step ahead for accessible main well being care” and a aid for the overburdened public system.

“Elevated accessibility will take great strain off of medical doctors workplaces and emergency rooms of hospitals and people who find themselves beneath the climate gained’t should journey far or spend a lot time ready or struggling to obtain medical help,” she stated.

Jobs, Financial system and Commerce Minister Matt Jones stated Make investments Alberta, a crown company that goals to draw companies to the province, paved the way in which for the ultimate funding choice, however clarified that no provincial subsidies went into Consumers Drug Mart’s growth plan.

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“We’ve created an setting the place companies can succeed and we’ve made an intentional effort to extend the scope of health-care professionals in Alberta,” he stated.

Well being Minister Adriana LaGrange stated the growth “aligns” with the federal government’s efforts to reorganize the well being care system – a shift that can see Alberta Well being Providers dismantled as the only well being authority and 4 new governing businesses created.

Leger stated the “overwhelming majority” of pharmacy providers are coated by the province. LaGrange clarified that the federal government isn’t instantly funding pharmacy-led clinics, however pharmacies can invoice for some providers beneath the Alberta Well being Insurance coverage Act or the Canada Well being Act.

The federal government has stated it expects to ink a wage deal this month with nurse practitioners that can permit them to open unbiased clinics across the province, offering extra main care entry amid a health care provider scarcity.

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LaGrange stated the province is “getting very shut” to finalizing that deal and continues to work with the Alberta Medical Affiliation to stabilize household medical practices.

Docs are anxiously awaiting a $200-million funding injection that was introduced in December, in addition to a brand new funding mannequin to interchange the province’s fee-for-service mannequin , as a majority of household medical doctors say they’re contemplating an exit.

The company’s announcement served as Smith’s first information convention taking questions from reporters since coming back from a two-week vacation, and comes after reviews of current chaos at Edmonton’s Stollery Kids’s hospital the place a scarcity of staff and beds compelled the rescheduling of main surgical procedures.

Within the coming weeks, Leger stated he plans to announce a $2 million donation from Consumers Drug Mart to the College of Alberta School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences for analysis and training.

Extra to come back…

lijohnson@postmedia.com

X: @reportrix

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