New tool for helping patients remember what matters about their medication

When patients leave a healthcare appointment with a prescription, they may also leave with unanswered questions.Vancouver pharmacist Adam Bleik believes the challenge isn’t a lack of information—it’s ensuring patients actually understand and remember how to use their medications once they leave the pharmacy.That gap is what inspired the creation of The Friendly Pharmacists, a pharmacist-led digital education platform designed to reinforce medication counselling through video-based tools patients can revisit anytime. Bleik launched the initiative in 2022 alongside University of British Columbia assistant professor Jane Xia and community pharmacist Gurtinder Bisla. “The Friendly Pharmacists was created in response to a gap we are observing in clinical practice,” says Bleik. “Patients leave healthcare encounters with prescriptions in hand but without a clear understanding of how or why to use their medications.” That gap can have serious consequences. Research suggests that a large portion of information shared during healthcare encounters is forgotten almost immediately, and medication misunderstandings contribute to widespread non-adherence. Bleik notes that nearly half of patients with chronic conditions struggle with medication adherence, while roughly 30% of prescriptions in Canada are never filled—issues that collectively add billions in avoidable healthcare costs annually.The Friendly Pharmacists aims to address this challenge by giving pharmacists a way to extend education beyond traditional face-to-face counselling. The platform delivers pharmacist-developed educational videos using AI-enabled avatars that visually represent real pharmacists. Patients can access the content after leaving the pharmacy, allowing them to revisit explanations about medications, vaccines or other therapies.“Our goal was to create a sustainable, scalable, pharmacist-led approach that reinforces counselling without replacing it,” Bleik explains.The idea grew out of Bleik's frontline experience as a primary care pharmacist, and the often limited time available for detailed medication education.The digital approach allows pharmacists to deliver consistent explanations without repeatedly recording new videos. The avatar technology also makes it easier to translate content into multiple languages, improving accessibility for diverse patient populations.“What distinguishes our approach is that it is fundamentally pharmacist-led from the ground up,” Bleik says. “The clinical content is written, reviewed and continuously updated by practicing pharmacists.” So far, the team has developed more than 20 pharmacist-led educational videos and completed a comprehensive vaccine education package that has been piloted in several community pharmacies in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. Early feedback suggests pharmacists appreciate the ability to reinforce counselling conversations, while patients value having clear explanations they can revisit after their appointment.On average, each founder dedicates approximately 20 hours per month to the platform, with significantly more time during active development cycles, pilot launches, or partnership discussions. "While balancing a startup with clinical responsibilities requires discipline and strong time management, it also ensures that the platform remains grounded in frontline pharmacy realities rather than theoretical innovation," says Bleik.This initiative is also evolving alongside broader changes in pharmacy practice, particularly the rise of virtual care and online prescription services, notes Bleik. “As pharmacy care continues to evolve digitally, patient education must remain pharmacist-led, evidence-based and accessible,” he says.The team is currently developing a menopause-focused package, recognizing the growing role pharmacists play in supporting patients through hormonal health and preventative care. "We also plan to expand into additional chronic disease areas where education gaps remain significant," says Bleik. Another priority is deeper integration into digital pharmacy models. As more Canadians access medications through virtual care platforms and mail-order services, there is an opportunity to ensure that pharmacist-led education remains embedded in those workflows. "We aim to collaborate with online pharmacy providers to deliver consistent, evidence-based education that preserves the personal connection patients value, even in digital environments," he says. "Ultimately, our goal is not to replace traditional pharmacist counselling, but to extend its reach," Bleik adds. "We want to equip [pharmacists] with tools that preserve the human element of care while improving efficiency and consistency."

New tool for helping patients remember what matters about their medication

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