Regional Policy Session

Dear PARO CPs, This year we are running the Regional Policy Sessions under the theme ​“Weak Primary Health Care”​ and the title chosen is “​The Role of Pharmacists in Strengthening Primary Health Care Through Advocacy For Expanding Scope of Practice”​. The primary outcome of these sessions will be a draft resolution/declaration, which will assist in decision-making, plans and actions that are to be undertaken by the Federation to achieve specific health care goals within society. The regional policy sessions will be online and the only onsite process will be voting for the final draft resolution that will already have been worked on prior to the Regional Assembly (RA).

Every Member Organisation (MO) needs to write a one-page​ position paper and to be submitted before [DATE (April 10th) ]. Countries where more than one MO exists is highly encouraged to discuss between them in order to have just one paper per country.

Some suggestions to write the position paper include a brief overview of our topic, what are actions taken in your countries, ​possible improvements; and how IPSF can contribute to these improvements. Also, plagiarism will not be tolerated. The importance of punctuation and grammar is also addressed.

If you have any questions please email ​rpo@ipsf.paro.org​ and ​chairperson@ipsf.paro.org​, and be sure to CC ​seo@capsi.ca​.

How to submit: ​Please upload the position papers to this ​Google Drive Folder​. Title the document with the association name.

Title: ​The Role of Pharmacists in Strengthening Primary Health Care Through Advocacy For Expanding Scope of Practice Background: ​Primary health care (PHC) is about caring for people, rather than simply treating specific diseases or conditions. According to WHO, a primary health care approach includes three components:​1 - Meeting people’s health needs throughout their lives; - Addressing the broader determinants of health through multisectoral policy and action; and - Empowering individuals, families and communities to take charge of their own health.

The Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 identified primary health care as the key to the attainment of the goal of Health for All.​2​ Forty years later, global leaders came together at the Global Conference on Primary Health Care to produce the Declaration of Astana and renew political commitment to primary health care.​3 Why we chose the topic:​ Medication related deaths and illnesses in the ambulatory care setting cost the healthcare system billions every year.​4​ Pharmacists are the best suited

healthcare professionals to help prevent medication related issues in the primary care setting, as well as help in many other areas of primary care. Currently, there is an enormous gap between the current and potential role of pharmacist in PHC. It is imperative for students to know that they can improve the existing situation through enhancing their skills and advocating for an expanded scope of practice by occupying leadership positions.​4,5​ Because we believe it is important for us as students to grow in this field and expand our role as we enter the workforce, we chose the role of pharmacists in primary care as our topic for the Regional Policy Session.

Why this topic is important: ​PHC is usually the first point of contact people have with the health care system. It provides comprehensive and accessible care that meets the needs of individuals throughout their life. Our current systems are primarily designed to treat acute issues, but having the proper PHC can help prevent illnesses before they occur. Many areas currently lack proper access to primary care, whether from a lack of physicians, financial issues, or other barriers, pharmacists offer an accessible, affordable alternative. With increasing numbers of people living with multiple lifelong morbidities, especially in North and South America, it becomes even more important to provide effective PHC.​6,7 Questions for members to answer: 1. What are the possible ways to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice and how would this improve primary health care?

2. Do pharmacists currently obtain adequate training to expand their scope of practice?

3. What is the role of IPSF in advocating for the role of pharmacy in PHC? 4. How can IPSF make campaigns or events focused on PHC? 5. How can pharmacists justify financial reimbursement for primary health care activities?

6. What are the financial incentives/models for reimbursing pharmacists for primary health care?

7. How important is it for pharmacists to gain prescriber status?

Resources: 1. WHO Primary Health Care. https://www.who.int/health-topics/primary-health-care#tab=tab_1 2. Alma-Ata Declaration. https://www.who.int/social_determinants/tools/multimedia/alma_ata/en/ 3. WHO Global Conference on Primary Health Care. https://www.who.int/primary-health/conference-phc 4. Pharmacists' Contributions to Primary Care in the United States Collaborating to Address Unmet Patient Care Needs: The Emerging Role for Pharmacists to Address the Shortage of Primary Care Providers: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058447/ 5. Expanding the role of pharmacists in Canada. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5701384/

6. Gaps in Primary Care and Health System Performance in Six Latin American and Caribbean Countries: ​https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1366 7. Primary care and multimorbidity in six Latin American and Caribbean countries. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6393736/