Every day, Canada's pharmacists and community pharmacies help bring health care closer to the homes of Albertans.

ALBERTA, March 28, 2013 /CNW/ - Whether you're in Red Deer, Calgary, or Fort McMurray, Alberta's pharmacists and community pharmacies offer over 1000 points of access for neighbourhood care. Pharmacists make it easier to deliver the care you need, when and where you need it.  Quite simply:  Pharmacies represent the most accessible, convenient, cost effective, health care solution and pharmacists are one of the most highly trained and trusted health care professionals.

This begs the question:  why has the Government of Alberta decided to create a challenging business and patient care environment while asking pharmacists to do more, rather than collaborating to enhance access to patient care and lower overall health care costs?

Expanding the types of services pharmacists can provide such as; helping Albertans manage chronic diseases, and make use of the most cost appropriate medications for the right patients at the right time can save the province millions of dollars.

Innovative solutions are available that could guarantee the continuity of patient care, ensure business stability, and offer government meaningful savings. Working together with government, we can make transformation happen.

Without a doubt Alberta's government is facing fiscal pressures that require innovative solutions.  We, the Alberta Pharmacists' Association (RxA), the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) and Value Drug Mart Associates (VDM), invite the Government of Alberta and Health Minister Horne to work with us to drive health care change that will deliver meaningful savings and ready Albertans for a stronger future. Community pharmacists have ideas and strategies that will help deliver immediate savings to government and ensure the province's fiscal targets are achieved this year and well into the future.

Together, pharmacists and community pharmacy offer the physical and technological infrastructure, and business acumen to drive practice change.  Our partnerships in the broader pharmacy community enable us to define the most cost-effective pharmacy solutions, implement new professional patient care options and present new opportunities to enhance the government's emergency preparedness.

We invite the government of Alberta and Health Minister Horne to work with us to create, develop and implement new ways that pharmacists and pharmacies can drive health care change, deliver meaningful savings and provide more comprehensive patient care.

(signed)
Margaret Wing
Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Pharmacists' Association

(signed)
Denise Carpenter, ICD.D
President & Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores

(signed)
Alan L. Hodgins
Chief Executive Officer, Value Drug Mart Associates Ltd.
On Behalf of Value Drug Mart Stores, Apple Drug Stores
and Rxellence Professional Dispensaries.

SOURCE: Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores