The Pharmacists in Primary Care Network (PCN) Program, an innovative initiative launched in October 2020 by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC, is celebrating its significant contributions to providing primary healthcare to British Columbians as it concludes its three-year implementation term. The program was designed to integrate Primary Care Clinical Pharmacists into PCNs across British Columbia. Additionally, it has mobilized and connected existing pharmacists within PCN communities to enable and support shared patient care.
This pioneering initiative was set in motion with a clear objective to integrate and optimize the pharmacists clinical expertise into the delivery of team-based primary care to all British Columbians. The Ministry of Health, in alignment with its primary health-care strategy, approved up to 50 new clinical pharmacists to be integrated into PCN teams throughout the province. The program received crucial support from the Ministry, with an investment of $23-million over three years, and was developed in collaboration with the Faculty. This was a vital program to address the unmet needs and gaps in primary care for patients dealing with complex health conditions.
Dr. Larry D. Lynd, professor and dean pro tem of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, expressed his sentiments regarding the program’s success: “The PCN Program has been a very important initiative for our Faculty. It represents a significant achievement in the innovation of pharmacy practice and interprofessional delivery of primary care and BC, and will without doubt improve the care patients receive and the associated positive health outcomes. We extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Health, all our program partners, pharmacists, clinicians, and staff who made this program possible.”
Please visit the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences website to read the full story.
As part of Strategy 16: Public Relevance, we are working to align UBC’s efforts more closely with priority issues in British Columbia and beyond, through dialogue and knowledge exchange.