What does the advent of Pharmacists' Professional Service on April 1 mean to you as a pharmacy professional? To your business operations and logistics? What do you need to do to start providing Meds Check medication reviews to your patients? How can you get involved in this important new initiative?

Pharmacists across Ontario are asking these questions on the eve of the launch of professional services by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, in collaboration with the Ontario Pharmacists' Association and the Ontario Pharmacy Council.

To meet these information needs, OPA is hosting a series of province-wide Professional Services Information Sessions during the weeks of April 9 and April 16. These sessions are provided at no charge and are open to attendance by all pharmacists and pharmacists-in-training in Ontario.

At each session, OPA staff and board representatives will provide an in-depth explanation of the professional services initiative and answer your questions. Members of the Ontario Pharmacy Council will be on hand at many of the sessions to explain the vision behind the initiative and how it will advance the pharmacy profession in Ontario.

The sessions will provide you with a detailed understanding of the Professional Services guidebook, advice and tips on how to implement professional services in your pharmacy and other direction to other resources that are available to assist you. Your feedback will be important to ensuring the professional services initiative works for you.

Beginning April 1, Ontario pharmacists will be able to provide the first professional service, the Meds Check medication review, to Ontario Drug Benefit Plan eligible patients taking three or more medications. Pharmacies will be paid $50 for each Meds Check service provided. The Ministry of Health will provide a $1,000 initial payment to pharmacies to assist with start-up costs, payable after the first service is provided.

The professional services initiative will better utilize the skills and abilities of pharmacists as front line health care providers to deliver medication-related patient care. As the program is implemented, patient health outcomes will improve and pressures elsewhere in the health system will be reduced. Concurrently, pharmacy will have access to a new revenue stream.

Following is the schedule for the province-wide Professional Services Information Sessions hosted by OPA. Sessions are open to all pharmacists and pharmacists-in-training. Estimated session length is two hours. Light refreshments will be served. Meeting rooms will be posted onsite at each location. Click HERE for session updates.