Letter to the Editor: Elrose residents upset with SHA’s action regarding pharmacy contract
Elrose Pharmacy will no longer be supplying medications to local LTC Centres
Recently a letter was sent to All Residents’ Families of Long Term Care Facilities from the Saskatchewan Health Authority. It appears the intent of their stated proposal is to standardize pharmacy services to “ensure safe delivery of medications”. It also appears the contracts to supply medications for the Elrose and Kyle long term care facilities have been awarded to Rosetown Co-op Pharmacy and the Pharmasave in Swift Current, respectively. Elrose Pharmacy has been notified it will no longer be supplying medications to the Elrose or Kyle LTC Centres.
This arbitrary and short-sighted action by the Saskatchewan Health Authority has perplexed and angered the Elrose community; it was taken without due community consultation. Furthermore, it was kept under wraps until the decision was made. This action certainly does not appear to consider the following factors:
Elrose Pharmacy is willing and able to meet the standards required by the SHA as a provider to the care facilities in question.
Elrose Pharmacy has an excellent and established relationship with the residents and staff of the care facilities, and has been serving their needs in an exceptional manner for 20 years.
As a resident of Elrose, Pat Lambie of Elrose Pharmacy has always made herself available after hours to the doctors, staff and residents with professional advice and prescription changes, etc. Pat does quarterly reviews with residents, their families (if requested), and the medical staff of the LTCs and is always available for consultation.
Located in the community, Elrose Pharmacy is better able to “ensure safe delivery of medications” in a timely manner, than a pharmacy 40 km outside of Elrose.
In addition to the professional services Pat Lambie and her staff provide to the community, on a personal level Pat contributes generously to many local organizations – something a pharmacy from elsewhere is unlikely to do.
In making this decision, SHA has not considered what the economic impact has on all Elrose businesses and the overall welfare of the community.
This decision runs counter to the provincial government’s stated objective of supporting local and rural small businesses and communities.
The importance of having a local pharmacy (and other local businesses) has been made especially clear because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Why such a disruptive decision to terminate an established and effective community-based service during these stressful times was made is beyond comprehension.
A decision such as this cannot be based solely on the cost of delivering said service. Just as the whole of a patient must be considered in determining treatment, so also must the whole impact of changing suppliers be considered. There are far reaching implications here.
The Elrose Pharmacy is an integral part of the fabric of Elrose and surrounding community. Surely it was not the intention of the Provincial Government’s Ministry of Health to jeopardise the future and well-being of small rural communities when it initiated the decision-making process that your review group and the “Procurement & Contracts Specialist” set in motion.
Please reconsider and reverse your decision.
Kind regards,
Doug Bone and Faye Atkinson