Development and implementation of the compensation plan for pharmacy services in Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Objective: To describe experiences with development and implementation of a compensation plan for pharmacy services delivered by pharmacists in community pharmacies.

Setting: Community pharmacy practice in Alberta, Canada.

Practice description: Pharmacists in Alberta have one of the most progressive scopes of practice in North America. They have authority to prescribe drugs independently, administer drugs by injection, access electronic health records, and order laboratory tests.

Practice innovation: A publicly funded compensation plan for pharmacy services was implemented in 2012. Principles that guided development of the compensation plan aimed to 1) ensure payment for pharmacy services, 2) support pharmacists in using their full scope of practice, 3) enable the development of long-term relationships with patients, 4) facilitate expansion of services delivered by pharmacists, and 5) provide access to pharmacy services for all eligible Albertans. Services covered by the compensation plan include care planning, prescribing, and administering drugs by injection.

Evaluation: The guiding principles were used to evaluate experiences with the compensation plan.

Results: Claims for pharmacy services covered by the compensation plan increased from 30,000 per month in July 2012 to 170,000 per month in March 2016. From September 2015 to August 2016, 1226 pharmacies submitted claims for services provided by 3901 pharmacists. The number of pharmacists with authorization to prescribe and administer injections continued to increase following implementation of the plan.

Conclusion: Alberta's experiences with the development and implementation of the compensation plan will be of interest to jurisdictions considering implementation of remunerated pharmacy services. The potential impact of the plan on health and economic outcomes, in addition to the value of the services as perceived by the public, patients, pharmacists, and other health care providers, should also be explored.