PharmaClik Login 
Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who play a vital role in the management of patients' health, including the prescribing of medications. Pharmacist prescribing authority – their ability to prescribe medications, initiate and adjust doses, and manage drug therapeutic substitutions for patients without the need for physician involvement – has been an ongoing topic of policy discussions across all Canadian provinces in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding prescribing authority to pharmacists’ full capabilities across all provinces has never been more urgent and relevant than in this period of severe, enduring healthcare professional shortage across the country.
Stories and Insights
Stories and Insights
Stay Informed with Our Latest Healthcare News
Stories and Insights
Stay Informed with Our Latest Healthcare News
05/10/22
Les pharmacies affiliées à Proxim et Uniprix lancent leur campagne annuelle de vaccination contre la grippe
Montréal (Québec), le 5 octobre 2022 — Les pharmacies affiliées à Proxim et Uniprix lancent leur campagne annuelle de vaccination contre la grippe.
« Au cours des dernières années, nos pharmaciens communautaires ont su démontrer qu’ils sont partie intégrante du système de santé québécois », a déclaré Erick Gagné, président-directeur général, Proxim et Uniprix. « Après avoir participé à l’effort de vaccination contre la COVID-19, les pharmaciens sont prêts, encore cette année, à vacciner les Québécois qui souhaitent se protéger et protéger leurs proches contre la grippe. »
L'activité grippale dans l'hémisphère Sud ayant été plus précoce par rapport aux années précédentes, la campagne de vaccination contre l'influenza a été devancée cette année et débutera le 5 octobre. Chaque année, des milliers de Québécois souffrent de la grippe, ce qui engorge davantage les hôpitaux et le système de santé. Bien que la plupart des gens se rétablissent après avoir contracté la grippe, celle-ci peut menacer la vie des personnes à risque, notamment celle des enfants, des aînés et des personnes atteintes de maladies chroniques.
Consultez les sites internet de Proxim et d’Uniprix afin de prendre votre rendez-vous dès aujourd’hui dans la pharmacie la plus près de chez vous. Profitez-en pour recevoir, en même temps et de façon sécuritaire, le vaccin contre la COVID-19.
*Les pharmaciens propriétaires affiliés à Proxim et Uniprix sont les seuls responsables de l’exercice de la pharmacie.
À propos de McKesson Canada
McKesson Canada est un chef de file diversifié en matière de services de soins de santé qui se consacre à l’avancement des résultats relatifs à la santé des patients du monde entier. Nos équipes collaborent avec les sociétés biopharmaceutiques, les fournisseurs de soins, les pharmacies, les fabricants, les gouvernements et d’autres intervenants afin de fournir des perspectives, des produits et des services permettant de rendre les soins de qualité plus accessibles et abordables. Apprenez-en davantage sur l’impact de McKesson Canada sur pratiquement tous les aspects des soins de santé sur www.mckesson.ca.
Renseignements
Melissa Turgeon
Relations médias pour le Québec
(514) 601-7280
- Publish Date
- 10/5/22
08/06/23
McKesson Canada Opens New State-of-the Art Distribution Centre in Surrey British Columbia
Supporting British Columbia’s Future Health
Surrey, BC (June 8, 2023) – To support British Columbia’s rising healthcare needs, McKesson Canada opens a new state-of-the-art, 233,000 square-foot facility in Surrey, British Columbia (BC). The new distribution centre (DC) delivers pharmaceutical medications, vaccines, specialty pharmaceuticals, and over-the-counter products to over 1,300 hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies across BC. McKesson Specialty Pharmacy on site manages complex specialty medications, providing quality care for patients across the province.
- New 233,000 square-foot facility ensures expanded capacity to support provincial medication delivery needs long-term and strengthens medication delivery infrastructure
- McKesson Canada’s new distribution centre features industry-leading automation to accelerate fulfillment and increase efficiency and productivity
- Integration of on-site Specialty Pharmacy campus ensures support in rise of complex therapies
As part of McKesson Canada’s distribution modernization plan, $175 million dollars was invested in the development and design of the Surrey DC to integrate industry-leading automation technology and strengthen efficiency and productivity. The DC uses best-in-class technology and processes to increase accuracy, protect against volume fluctuations and doubles potential capacity to over 235,000 units shipped daily. This investment ensures McKesson Canada can meet Canada’s rising need for complex specialized medications and respond to BC’s future healthcare demands, particularly the expected 63 per cent[i] rise in seniors over the next 20 years, who typically have more complex conditions.
“Today, we are showcasing our unwavering dedication to improve health outcomes of Canadians. From strategic concept to operations, McKesson Canada’s Surrey distribution centre is a showcase of innovation that blends the state-of-the-art technology and optimized processes that secure our capacity to support the growing healthcare needs of British Columbians for the long term,” said Joan Eliasek, President, McKesson Canada. “We take great pride in our investment in British Columbia and in our responsibility to deliver lifesaving medications reliably and safely across the province for many years to come.”
State-of-the-Art Technology, Processes and Automation
State-of-the-art automation technology enables more efficient and accurate product picking. The new DC utilizes a system that picks products from over 22,000 storage containers, delivering them directly to the operators who ensure quality and accuracy. The automation process allows for vast quantities of product to flow through the distribution system, with real-time monitoring and forecasting of required product volume levels. Picked products are released and sequenced according to delivery route, all through automation to ensure the right product gets to the right destination for precise just-in-time delivery.
Significant investment has also been made in cold chain storage to support Canada’s rising need for more complex medications that require fridge and freezer storage, such as COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Surrey DC is the last of McKesson Canada’s transformation and modernization initiatives in Western Canada, including building new Edmonton and Winnipeg DCs. Reaching this milestone means that McKesson Canada is prepared to support and react quickly in times of environmental crisis or emergencies like wildfires or flooding. Each McKesson Canada DC in Western Canada has contingency planning to be able to support provinces in the event of a disruption or crisis.
Bedrock of Community and Independent Pharmacy
Just-in-time delivery is a hallmark of the McKesson Canada distribution system, creating an infrastructure that allows for continual flow of goods into the community and reliable access to medication. McKesson Canada’s distribution system has been a key enabler for independent pharmacy. The modernization of the Surrey DC processes, tools and equipment support operational excellence and enhances our customer offering.
“The complexity of just-in-time delivery within an ecosystem that delivers much needed medication to every community in Canada, the next day, every day is extraordinary,” says Jean-Philippe Blouin, Senior Vice-President Pharmaceutical Distribution & Operations, McKesson Canada. “The value and enhanced features of our new Surrey distribution centre ensures that we provide reliable service and further demonstrates our commitment to our patients and our customers in BC.”
The Rise of Specialized Medication Needs
The use of specialty medications and therapeutic treatments for both acute and chronic care patients continues to rise in Canada. In 2021, specialty drugs had a 9.5 per cent growth rate compared to traditional drugs at 2.9 per cent.[ii] The innovative McKesson Specialty Pharmacy provides care to patients from a wide range of therapeutic specialties such as neurology, oncology, immunology and ophthalmology. Molecules are compounded on site in state-of-the-art cleanrooms where hazardous and non-hazardous medications are handled in sterile environments. The integration of the McKesson Specialty Pharmacy in the Surrey DC allows for more efficient access and delivery to patient’s homes, hospitals, and infusion clinics.
Environmental Focus
Situated on 14 acres of land, the new DC office space was designed with consideration for environmental sustainability. The new DC features LED low energy lighting, low flow water fixtures, underground rainwater collection, native landscaping to support local birds and insects and electric vehicle charging stations.
The Surrey DC employs 180 people and supports additional jobs in partner businesses including transportation.
About McKesson Canada
McKesson Canada is a diversified healthcare services leader dedicated to advancing health outcomes for patients everywhere. Our teams partner with pharmaceutical companies, care providers, pharmacies, manufacturers, governments, and others to deliver insights, products and services to help make quality care more accessible and affordable. Learn more about how McKesson Canada is impacting virtually every aspect of healthcare at www.McKesson.ca
For more information: media@mckesson.ca
[i] Ip, Frank and Lavoie, Sebastien. ”PEOPLE 2020: BC Sub-Provincial Population Projections.” Government of British Columbia, BC Stats.,https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/data/statistics/people-population-community/population/people_population_projections_highlights.pdf
[ii]“2022 Drug Data Trends & National Benchmarks.” TELUS Health. Pg. 12, https://plus.telushealth.co/blogs/health-benefits/wp-content/uploads/TELUS-Health-Drug-Data-Trends-Report-2022.pdf
- Publish Date
- 6/8/23
A significant public policy priority for the Government of Canada is ensuring comprehensive, timely, and equitable access to medication for rare diseases; as such, the Government of Canada has allocated $500 million annually to a national strategy for rare disease drugs. McKesson Canada is proud to contribute to this conversation, drawing on experience with patient support programs, pharmaceutical distribution, and specialty pharmacy services.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it became clear that any return to 'normal' would only be possible once the majority of Canadians received vaccines. At the time, a COVID-19 vaccine existed only in the designs of biomedical scientists, and most did not anticipate a mass-market vaccine arriving for at least 18 months. In addition to developing the vaccine, the pharmaceutical sector had to conquer the challenge of manufacturing, transporting, storing, and administering billions of doses.
