Board Member Jason Frame on the changing pharmacy model

Jason Frame expects CFP-funded initiatives to gain momentum as the need for innovative pharmacy research gets even greater in the future.

When and why did you join CFP?

I joined the board in March 2023. The pharmacy industry was currently undergoing an incredible amount of transition and I was excited to join a diverse board whose focus is on supporting and funding novel innovation in the pharmacy sector to address the challenges we are facing now and into the future. I admire and respect CFP and the pharmacy profession, so I jumped at the chance to give back in any way possible.

What expertise do you bring to the Board?

I am approaching 20 years of healthcare and pharmacy industry experience in Canada and the United States, and am currently Vice-President of National Sales at JAMP Pharma. The Board has a tremendous brain trust and representation from provincial associations, academics and an array of industry leaders, headed up by an experienced and passionate Executive Director.  I hope to bring additional perspective and support to the Board from an industry and business lens. 

CFP has also gone through its share of transition so it’s a great time to take a fresh look at the Foundation’s operations and build upon what the previous board has accomplished.  I look forward to contributing by challenging the status quo, developing new ideas to clarify and define our mandate, as well as brainstorm to generate new revenue and donation streams, while at the same time minimizing costs. I recently accepted the opportunity to chair our finance committee to offer my expertise in these areas.

What would you like CFP to accomplish in the years to come?

I think we have an excellent opportunity to further define and clarify our mission so the pharmacy sector understands the value that CFP brings within the broader landscape of pharmacy associations. CFP has funded many successful innovative projects that have resulted in tangible improvements for pharmacists and patients across Canada.  I believe we can be more focussed on bringing greater awareness to the value that CFP-funded projects bring to pharmacy. When we combine clarity of mission with showcasing the great projects that CFP has funded, we can expect to see increased support from the industry so we can further invest in future meaningful innovations.

Why is now a good time to be in pharmacy?

For roughly 150 years, pharmacy has been a dispense/fee model. But now the model is shifting to a service-based model only accelerated by the explosion of complex and specialty medicines in recent years, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite all the challenges—financial and otherwise—in pharmacy, this transition represents substantial opportunity. 

CFP can lead by playing a pivotal role in funding innovative research and novel projects that will help pharmacy make the transition to these new models of delivering care. Many pharmacists are already moving in this direction and some may never move away from the dispense/fee model. However, the pharmacists who want to adapt but don’t know where to start are exactly the pharmacists that CFP-funded research and projects can help.