Media Contacts

Ministry of Health

Communications
250 952-1887 (media line)

Backgrounders

Clinical pharmacists joining primary care networks in B.C.

Team-based care brings together doctors and other health-care professionals to better meet the health needs of British Columbians. It has been shown to reduce hospitalization and physician visits while improving outcomes for patients with chronic diseases. It also reduces duplication and streamlines care, increasing the efficiency and sustainability of the health system.

Quick Facts:

  • More than 800,000 British Columbians have a chronic medical condition of medium or high complexity.
  • 16% of B.C. residents have chronic medical condition(s) of medium or high complexity. Public expenditure for health services to this population represents 63% of the total estimated cost for publicly funded health care.
  • In 2020, approximately 24.7% of B.C. residents over 70 were taking at least five medications per day, 2.6% are taking 10 or more.

About the Pharmacists in Primary Care Network program:

  • In alignment with nursing and allied health providers, health authorities are responsible for hiring these pharmacists.
  • UBC is training and co-ordinating the primary care clinical pharmacists and will evaluate the impact of the program over the next three years. This will inform how primary care pharmacists can be best integrated and expanded into B.C.’s health-care system over the long term.  

Of the first 20 primary care clinical pharmacists to be recruited, 18 will join primary care teams as below. The remaining two are being finalized:

Island Health

  • Comox primary care network – one clinical pharmacist
  • South Island primary care networks – two clinical pharmacists
  • Cowichan primary care network – one clinical pharmacist
  • Oceanside primary care network – one clinical pharmacist

Fraser Health

  • White Rock South Surrey primary care network – one clinical pharmacist
  • Ridge Meadows primary care networks – two clinical pharmacists
  • Fraser Northwest primary care networks – one clinical pharmacist

Interior Health

  • South Okanagan Similkameen primary care network – one clinical pharmacist
  • Kootenay Boundary primary care network – one clinical pharmacist

Northern Health

  • Prince George primary care network – one clinical pharmacist

Vancouver Coastal Health

  • Richmond primary care networks – three clinical pharmacists
  • Vancouver primary care networks – two clinical pharmacists
  • North Shore primary care network – one clinical pharmacist