New Brunswick patients dealing with certain chronic illnesses, like diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease, will be able to be assessed and treated at six pharmacies participating in a pilot project.
It’s part of a year-long project aiming to take stress off the primary care system.
“It will create more space, more availability for those family doctors who are stressed and working very very hard in order to provide that primary care,” said Health Minister Bruce Fitch at a press conference on Wednesday.
Pharmacies participating in the program will also be able to diagnose and treat strep throat.
The program is similar to one launched in 12 pharmacies in Nova Scotia in February.
That program was so successful that Nova Scotia’s government expanded the program to 14 more pharmacies in May.
“We have a very strong indication from our neighbours in Nova Scotia that this pilot should work very well here in New Brunswick,” said Anne Marie Piconem, interim executive director of the NB Pharmacists Association.
“We’re confident that this pilot will support the conclusion that more pharmacies should be offering these services,” she said.
The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training will be studying the results of the program throughout the pilot period.
The first two pharmacies participating in the program will start on Aug. 1 in Riverview and Fredericton.
The remaining four, located in Fredericton, Paquetville, Moncton and Hampton, will start on Sept. 18.
“My hope is that we’ll be able to roll out more sites in a short period of time,” Fitch said.
Pharmacies need to have a dedicated space for patient consultations in order to offer the program.
Jeff Leger, president of Shoppers Drug Mart, said it costs “a couple hundred thousand dollars” to renovate a pharmacy to include that space.
He said the company was interested in renovating more pharmacies in New Brunswick to be able to offer the program.
Fitch said he was hopeful other pharmacies would be willing to renovate to offer the program.
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