Advocacy for the pharmacy profession is really up to all of us

It strikes me that advocacy for our profession takes on many forms. Stick with me here and I’ll try to make my point without writing too long a novel.

A friend of mine, who shall not remain anonymous (Tracey Phillips), mentioned something to me that really resonated the last time I saw her. She said so many of our leaders talk about advocacy from any number of daises, but the way it is presented by them makes the concept intimidating, perhaps overwhelming, to the average pharmacist. I think she’s right. Let her know I told you so. Not everyone has to try to meet with their MLA, MP, MPP, etc. There’s a place for that in advocacy, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. What we really need is for community pharmacists to toot their own horns a little louder at the counter. When you are giving a flu shot this year, ask your patient if they are aware that Alberta pharmacists provided 76% of all the flu shots in the province last year. When you are adapting a prescription because the manufacturer cannot supply it, explain to your patient a bit about why there are medication shortages in Canada and what pharmacists are doing to help ensure continuity of care. Insert your own examples. There are so many that highlight pharmacists filling gaps in care.

I usually tell the students I precept that when I was working at the counter, one of the best testimonials I could receive is when someone walked up to the counter and said something like, “I was at my neighbour’s place for dinner, and they mentioned that you helped them with their (name the issue). I’ve gone to the same pharmacy for years and they’ve never taken the time to (name the service).” That was music to my ears. Word of mouth advertising is the result of advocacy at its most basic level.

After relating that kind of story to my student, I go on to say that you never know who is walking up to the counter. It could be the Premier’s Chief of Staff, the Minister of Health’s mother, or a social media influencer. In terms of advocacy, the work of the pharmacist at the counter is as influential as our associations’ work with policy makers. Give your patients a reason to bring their experience at their local pharmacy up at the dinner table in a positive light, rather than as part of a complaint. Give your patients a reason to advocate for you and for pharmacy.

Does that mean we don’t need our associations? Hell no! We need our association leaders and members to get in front of policy makers in an official capacity to push key messages forward. In Alberta, the membership renewal period for the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association is right now. This year I’m cold calling many pharmacists to ask them to renew their membership, or to consider a new membership. When a pharmacist asks me why they should support the association, I have no problem letting them know that RxA has been the most successful association in Canada in delivering payment for services. That’s why so many other jurisdictions point to Alberta as a model to emulate.

Last week I had the privilege of attending a reception for the Council of the Federation meeting in Winnipeg on behalf of Neighbourly Pharmacy and Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada. Several premiers attended the reception in person. Others sent senior staff. When I had a chance to speak to Premier Danielle Smith, I thanked her for her government’s support for pharmacy in Alberta. She replied with a few of her key health priorities around delivery of primary care in the province.

That’s how it goes. I was there in a leadership capacity, and I had a few moments with the head policy maker in Alberta. That whole exchange would mean nothing if the Premier’s last experience in a community pharmacy was underwhelming, or if a trusted friend of hers recently had a poor experience.

I believe Tracey’s message to me was that we don’t all have to speak directly to the premier about what pharmacists are capable of, but we can all do a better job of informing our patients about what we are doing to provide better frontline healthcare to Canadians. Toot your own horns a little bit more, and for crying out loud, support your provincial and national pharmacy associations by becoming a member. They’re working hard for you.