Supporting Ontario’s $1.8B goal to connect residents with primary care teams
In Ontario, 2.5 million people lack a family doctor according to the Ontario College of Family Physicians. To close this gap, the province is investing $1.8 billion to pair residents with a family doctor or primary care team, multidisciplinary groups that include physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, physiotherapists and dieticians.
The expansion and addition of primary care services for this project is led by the KW4 Ontario Health Team (KW4OHT), where over 40 members working to create an interconnected health and wellness system across the Region by uniting hospitals, home care, mental health services, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, long-term care and Indigenous health.
Pharmacists play a large role in primary care and as their scope continues to grow, they can put their knowledge into practice to provide better services for improved care. Dr. Feng Chang, associate professor at the School of Pharmacy and the project’s pharmacy representative, is involved in the discussions to learn about the gaps and challenges in care that other providers face, and how pharmacists can support them.
“From chronic disease management to minor ailment prescribing and vaccinations, our expertise reaches far beyond the traditional dispensary-based setting,” adds Dr. Chang.
Patients attached to a primary care team receive continuity of care and have improved access to professionals specializing in care they need, which leads to better health outcomes. Physicians can focus on their expertise while collaborating with others and sharing patient load, ultimately alleviating the pressure on emergency rooms and hospitals.
“Medicine has become more specialized with healthcare providers specializing in different areas. We can all focus on our areas of expertise to support physicians in the care of our patients,” says Dr. Chang.
Ontario’s action plan includes a commitment to establish and expand 300 additional primary care teams by 2029. Outside of formal team-based settings, pharmacists are ideal partners to provide additional support to unattached physicians to promote seamless transfer of care and communication.
The University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy has collaborated with KW4OHT over the years to improve health and well-being in our community with faculty, students and alumni providing collaborative care within regional teams such as the Centre for Family Medicine Family Health Team, Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, New Vision Family Health Team, Schlegel Villages and the Waterloo Regional Health Network. The School’s continued partnership with KW4OHT aims to improve community access to care and to help find solutions to reduce the pressure on our healthcare system.