A new service will be added, however, an assessment to ensure continuity of care in the event of a declaration of a state of emergency, which will come with a fee of $20 starting May 17 when most of the new pharmacy funding framework changes takes effect.

Pharmacists will also have the authority to administer more publicly funded vaccines, which means the fee for that will be reduced from $20 to 13.

Finally, starting April 1, 2019, at least 10 per cent of government funding to pharmacies will be withheld each quarter to be used to address any pharmacy compensation budget shortfalls. According to the Alberta Health website, that percentage can increase if required, to meet budget targets. If expenditures are less than budget, the holdback funds will be redistributed to pharmacies.

Jennifer Fookes is a Registered Pharmacist in Alberta and owns Mortar and Pesto Pharmacy in Red Deer. She says although there is great concern for pharmacists and their future with these upcoming changes, patient care she adds is their number one concern.

“The overall pharmacy budget has just received a massive cut of $150 million for the services that every day Albertans receive in pharmacies,” explains Fookes. “So that could be consultations on an unplanned pregnancy, that could be a consultation on a senior who has fallen, that could be somebody who cannot get into their doctor in time but whose blood pressure is out of control despite being compliant with their medication, that could be somebody who has lost their medication or had it stolen and needs to have that assessment made.

“That could be someone requiring a vaccination,” continues Fookes. “That could be somebody who is from out of country, an emergency service provided due to natural disaster. There’s a lot of different things, the scope is broad.”

Fookes is also concerned about new graduates from both the Pharmacy Technician program at RDC and U of A and their career prospects as a result of these pending pharmacy funding changes.

“We have students already expressing concern that they’re the most highly trained pharmacists in Canada and yet their job prospects are bleak,” laments Fookes. “In a group of five pharmacists that we sat down with, two of them were uncertain about whether they would have positions at the end of the week, so these cuts are real and they’re massive.”

Fookes concludes it would have been beneficial for government to consult with the Pharmacists Association of Alberta before moving ahead with the funding framework changes.