Are Pharmacists Being Fully Used in Alberta’s Healthcare System?

Healthcare in Alberta is often discussed in terms of shortages – not enough doctors, long wait times, and limited access, especially outside major centres.

But there is another question worth asking:

Are we fully using the healthcare professionals we already have?

Pharmacists are among the most accessible and highly trained providers in Alberta. Most communities – urban, rural, and northern – have pharmacies where patients can walk in without an appointment and speak directly to a licensed professional.

Over the past decade, their role has expanded significantly. Under Alberta’s regulatory framework, pharmacists are authorized to:

• Prescribe for many conditions

• Renew and adjust medications

• Administer vaccines

• Manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension

• Provide care for minor ailments

These authorities are enabled through the Alberta College of Pharmacy, which sets standards for prescribing, patient assessment, and ongoing care.

On paper, Alberta has one of the most advanced pharmacist scopes of practice in Canada.

But the key question remains:

Are pharmacists being fully used, properly supported, and fairly compensated for the work they are already doing?

Medication Safety: A Critical, Often Overlooked Role

One of the most important – and sometimes underappreciated – roles pharmacists play is protecting patients from harm.

Modern healthcare often involves:

• Multiple prescriptions

• Different prescribing providers

• Ongoing changes to treatment plans

This creates real risk.

Pharmacists are the professionals who:

• Check for drug interactions

• Ensure medications are appropriate for the patient’s condition

• Identify duplicate or conflicting therapies

• Monitor for side effects and complications

• Help patients understand how to take medications safely

In many cases, they are the final checkpoint before a medication reaches a patient.

That responsibility is not minor.

It is central to patient safety.

As pharmacists take on more prescribing and clinical roles, this safety function becomes even more important – not less.

Capability vs Reality

Despite their training and expanded authority, there is still a gap between what pharmacists can do and how the system uses them.

Many Albertans still think of pharmacists primarily as dispensers of medication. They may not realize pharmacists can:

• Assess and treat certain conditions

• Adjust medications without a doctor’s visit

• Provide ongoing management for chronic illness

At the same time, healthcare pathways don’t consistently direct patients toward pharmacists – even when it would improve access.

For example:

-Patients may wait weeks for a physician appointment for issues that could be addressed same-day at a pharmacy

-Routine medication adjustments often go through clinics instead of pharmacies

This is not a capability problem.

It is a system awareness and design problem.

Compensation: Where the System Falls Behind

As pharmacists take on more clinical responsibility, a major issue becomes clear: how they are paid.

Alberta has taken steps to recognize pharmacist services through publicly funded programs. Under agreements administered by Alberta Health, pharmacists can bill for certain services such as:

• Comprehensive care plans

• Follow-up care for chronic conditions

• Some prescribing and assessment activities

However, these payments are:

• Limited to specific services

• Often capped or restricted

• Not always aligned with the time and responsibility involved

At the same time, pharmacy compensation still relies heavily on:

• Dispensing fees

• Medication-related revenue

This creates a mismatch:

Pharmacists are increasingly performing clinical decision-making, but compensation still reflects a system built around dispensing.

For patients and taxpayers, this matters.

If a qualified professional can provide appropriate care efficiently – but the system does not fully support or incentivize that care – then the system is not operating at its full potential.

Paying for What Is Actually Being Done

A key issue is not whether pharmacists are paid – it is how and for what.

• Clinical work includes:

• Patient assessment

• Decision-making

• Monitoring and follow-up

• Preventing harmful medication interactions

These are core healthcare functions.

Yet, payment models often emphasize:

• The product (medication)

• Rather than the professional judgment behind it

If pharmacists are expected to:

• Prescribe

• Manage chronic conditions

• Ensure medication safety across multiple providers

Then compensation structures should reflect:

• Time spent with patients

• Level of responsibility

• Clinical risk involved

Otherwise, the system sends mixed signals:

Take on more responsibility – but within an outdated compensation model.

Responsibility Without Full Recognition

As access challenges continue – particularly in rural and northern Alberta – pharmacists are increasingly filling gaps.

Patients rely on them for:

• Immediate access to care

• Medication management

• Guidance when physician access is delayed

This shift is already happening.

But it raises a fundamental issue:

What happens when responsibility increases faster than system support?

Pharmacists are:

• Regulated professionals

• Required to carry liability insurance

• Accountable for clinical decisions

As their role expands:

• Their responsibility increases

• Their professional risk increases

If compensation, policy, and system integration do not keep pace, it creates imbalance.

Liability and Protection

Pharmacists in Alberta are required to carry professional liability insurance and are regulated by the Alberta College of Pharmacy.

This means:

• They are accountable for prescribing and clinical decisions

• They must meet defined professional standards

• They are subject to oversight and discipline if standards are not met

From a patient perspective, this is important.

Pharmacists are not informal providers.

They are licensed professionals operating within a regulated healthcare system.

However, as expectations grow, it is reasonable to ask whether:

• Support structures are keeping pace

• Compensation reflects the level of responsibility

• Policy frameworks match real-world practice

The Role of Technology

Technology is also changing how care is delivered.

Telehealth, digital tools, and AI-supported systems can:

• Assist with diagnosis and triage

• Support prescribing decisions

• Improve access for patients in remote areas

Pharmacists are well positioned to work within this model:

• They are accessible

• They already manage medications

• They can act as a bridge between technology and in-person care

If access gaps continue, patients will increasingly turn to:

• Pharmacists

• Virtual care

• Technology-supported services

This is not about replacing healthcare providers.

It is about how the system adapts when access is limited.

Why This Matters to Albertans

At its core, this is not a professional issue.

It is a public system issue.

Albertans:

• Fund healthcare through taxes

• Depend on it for timely, safe care

It is reasonable to expect:

• Efficient use of all qualified professionals

• Reduced wait times where possible

• Clear pathways to appropriate care

If pharmacists are capable of handling part of front-line care – and are already doing so – then underutilized them creates unnecessary strain elsewhere.

That strain appears as:

• Longer wait times

• Overloaded clinics

• Increased pressure on emergency departments

• Lost time and income for patients

A System Design Issue

This is not about blaming individuals.

Doctors, pharmacists, and policymakers are working within structures that already exist.

The issue is how the system is designed:

• How roles are defined

• How services are funded

• How patients are directed through care pathways

When those elements are not aligned, inefficiencies follow.

What a Better Approach Could Look Like

A more effective system would:

• Clearly define when patients should see a pharmacist vs a physician

• Align compensation with actual clinical work performed

• Increase public awareness of pharmacist capabilities

• Support collaboration across professions

Use technology to improve access without replacing essential care

This is not about replacing doctors.

It is about:

Using every part of the system effectively so patients receive timely, safe, and appropriate care.

The Bigger Question

Albertans invest heavily in healthcare.

It is reasonable to ask:

• Are we fully using the professionals we already have?

• Are we paying for the work being done – or for outdated structures?

• Are we prioritizing patient access and safety?

Closing Thought

Pharmacists are already protecting patients, managing medications, and filling gaps in access.

If their role continues to grow, the system must grow with it — through proper use, fair compensation, and clear support.

Otherwise, the result is not efficiency.

It is imbalance – and patients will feel the difference.