​FAQs ABOUT THE PHARMACIST

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• What is a Pharmacist?

Pharmacists are health care professionals who have completed advanced academic and often specialist education at Master or Doctoral level in Pharmacy, and are able to determine, monitor, and manage drug therapy independently and in conjunction with other health care providers.

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• What can a Pharmacist do?

In Alberta, pharmacists may:

• Determine, monitor, and manage drug therapy independently and in collaboration with other health care professionals;

• Promote and maintain health and wellness, and provide disease state management and medication management care plans;

• Integrate aspects of patients’ history, physical findings, and monitoring studies to draw up a therapeutic plan;

• Counsel patients regarding the safe and appropriate use of drugs, and the importance of adhering to drug therapy instructions;

• Give patients, caregivers, and other health care providers advice on selecting and using drug and non-drug products

• Compound, prepare, and dispense drugs;

• Provide non-prescription drugs, health care aides, and devices;

• Supervise and manage drug distribution systems to maintain public safety and drug system security;

• Conduct or collaborate in drug-related research;

• Conduct or administer drug and other health-related programs such as structured medication reviews;

• Participate in health promotion, prevention, and public health activities such as immunizations;

• Provide advice regarding disease management and prevention, medication and disease information, and natural medicine consultations;

• Advise patients on anticoagulant management, osteoporosis screening, and travel medicine clinics;

• Advise patients through consultation on issues including asthma, diabetes, smoking cessation, heart health, depression, pain management, weight loss, and nutrition;

• Prescribe new therapies or extend current therapies;

• Adapt prescriptions regarding dose and dosage form to meet individual needs;

• Assist patients in improving adherence to medications;

• Assess and independently prescribe medications to manage chronic medical conditions toward a target treatment level.​​

(Alis Alberta, 2023)​​​

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• I need to be seen on a walk-in basis; do your pharmacists offer walk-in consultations?

Yes! Pharmacists at CSDM offer walk-in consultations. Our regular pharmacists are also allowed to formulate a guided diagnosis according to approved pathways and prescribe accordingly. You may find more information by clicking on this link. However, when a patient does not fall within one of the approved pathways, the pharmacist may opt to refer you to one of the physicians or nurse practitioners affiliated with them. To access this service directly, you may also want to click on this link, fill out the form, and book yourself for a virtual consultation.