University of British Columbia studies innovative model of practice in pharmacist-led clinic

The university’s pharmacist-led primary care clinic opened in in 2013. It was created to develop models of best practice, to be a site where pharmacy students can learn and to be a "living laboratory", where research is carried out by the university. The clinic is run by pharmacists, but doesn’t dispense or supply medicine. Instead, pharmacists provide consultations free-of-charge that can last for up to an hour to review and help patients manage their prescriptions. The model shares elements with the way pharmacists in GP practices work in the U.K., but with a focus on research and teaching. The clinic sees over 2,000 patients and teaches about 100 students annually, with a staff of four pharmacists running the clinic’s daily operations. The results of the clinic’s first research study are yet to be released.