NOVEMBER 2018 – Vaccine adherence rates, opioid stewardship and new pharmacy practice models to improve patient care are all research projects underway with help from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy’s 2018 Innovation Fund.
The recipients of this year’s Innovation Fund Grant are: John Papastergiou, Paula Newman, Saleema Bhaidani and Lisa Dolovich, as well as the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia. Here’s a brief overview of the research projects they’ll be leading:
The impact of pharmacist-driven vaccines: With the support of a $15,000 grant from CFP, John Papastergiou, owner of two Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies in Toronto, Ontario, and his research team at the University of Toronto will quantify vaccines adherence rates nationally when they’re provided through a community pharmacy. They’ll also study the impact of pharmacist-directed immunizations on vaccines regimens as whole. “We hope to demonstrate that patients who get their vaccines administered by a pharmacist are more likely to complete their vaccine series,” said Papastergiou.
Bringing opioid care to remote areas: With the support of a $22,500 grant, Paula Newman and her crew at NorthWest Telepharmacy Solutions, will determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a pharmacist-led opioid stewardship program for chronic non-cancer pain using videoconferencing technology. The long-term goal is to develop a sustainable patient-centred program that improves healthcare disparities in rural Canada.
The impact of appointment-based models of practice: This first of its kind research in Canada—supported by a $45,000 CFP grant—will study the impact of an appointment-based model of practice on patients and community pharmacy staff. The study, led by Saleema Bhaidani of Whole Health Pharmacy Partners and Lisa Dolovich, researcher at University of Toronto, will evaluate clinical outcomes as well as the impact on medication adherence. It will also identify the key characteristics of patients who would benefit from this appointment-based model.
Practice change for better patient care: Led by the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS), this two-phase research project aims to establish a model for practice change in community pharmacy, to enable the provision of enhanced patient care. CFP is contributing $25,000 towards the project, which is expected to be completed entirely by early 2020. “We envision a future whereby community pharmacy teams will have the right technology, education, training and role definition to ensure efficiency in both their drug distribution tasks, as well as their patient-centered, non-dispensing services,” said Lisa Woodill, Director of Pharmacy Practice at PANS in the application for funding.
Click here for more information about these projects and others funded by CFP’s Innovation Fund.
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