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.

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.