Pharmacy services take root in Nuxalk Nation

After working closely with partners Glenda Phillips and Rhonda Schooner from Nuxalk Nation Health and Wellness in Bella Coola, B.C., to lay the groundwork for culturally safe pharmacy services, Dr. Larry Leung is witnessing dramatic growth in scale and impact.

An Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of British Columbia, Leung received a grant from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy’s Innovation Fund in 2023. Dr. Leung, along with his colleague Dr. Jason Min and their research team, UPROOT, at UBC, set out to develop a model for culturally grounded care in substance use, which has since expanded into a broad range of fully developed hybrid pharmacy services—an evolution that reflects Nuxalk Nation Health and Wellness’ steps toward greater self-governance and a renewed commitment to pharmacy as an essential part of community-led health services.

The pilot program, funded by CFP, launched in February 2025. Leung and his team conduct two in-person clinic visits over the course of one year, supported by monthly virtual clinic days that ensure consistent access to medication management and specialized care.

The Nuxalk Nation has now allocated ongoing funding for the program through its federally funded Home and Community Care program—a key marker of sustainability and a sign that pharmacy is firmly “at the table,” says Leung. “They’ve made it clear that pharmacy services are important as they take over their primary care programs.”

The work now rests on four integrated pillars:

1. General Medication Management Services – open to community members for a broad range of medical conditions.
2. Specialized Medication Management for Substance Use – including pharmacist-led appointments for substance use disorders, and integration with wellness, peer support, and land-based healing programs.
3. Traditional Medicines Education Program – a major new component featuring 10 lessons, the first eight delivered online and the final two as hands-on workshops.
4. Traditional Medicines Pharmacy at the Health Centre – supporting harvesting, preparation, and dispensing of traditional medicines within the clinic itself.

Leung notes that the shift in scope from substance use was very much community driven. “Needs and priorities change over time…It was important for us to be responsive,” he says.

One of the most celebrated outcomes has been the traditional medicines education program, created in collaboration with Knowledge Keeper Rhonda Schooner. The program is reciprocal by design: it is used to train community members and youth, but also to orient health professionals who work with the Nation, which is particularly important in rural areas where there is a high turnover of healthcare providers.

The program is also open to pharmacy students. In May, six students participated in the pilot and next year that number will double in the ongoing program. “This program introduces people to concepts and medicines unique to the Nation,” says Leung. “It’s a way to preserve knowledge and strengthen relationships.”

Substance use and land-based healing

The pharmacy team has also supported the development of land-based healing opportunities and the foundation for a traditional medicine pharmacy. These elements are tightly linked to the specialized substance-use component of the project, which aims to provide care that is culturally grounded and community-led.

Leung says the program is integrated not only with home and community care, but also with wellness support. “It’s connected to peer support workers, land-based support workers—really, the whole circle of care.”

After 15 years of working in community-based Indigenous health, Leung sees a clear next frontier: Nation-led community pharmacies and pharmacy programming. “There’s a great desire to explore models where Nations can own and operate their own pharmacies, as well as have their own medication management services” he says. “We’ve piloted this in an urban Indigenous centre, and it’s a natural next step for rural and remote communities.”

He says this entire program was also developed, implemented and evaluated by pharmacy student learners (including Indigenous students), which is key to building more interest in this area and having more pharmacy learners develop the knowledge and skills need to practise in Indigenous communities.

“My intention is always to pass this work on,” he says. “The Nation deserves a pharmacist who lives and works in the community. That’s the key to long-term sustainability.”