Improving Pharmacy Access with a BC First Nation Community Health Centre (CHC)

The responsibilities of a pharmacist are well established within a Western healthcare framework; however, a pharmacist’s role within Indigenous-led healthcare is unclear. Indigenous-led healthcare services are designed by the community for the community and can be tailored to address specific community needs. Rural and remote communities often face significant barriers to accessing care because of geographic distances or chronic healthcare staff shortages. Providing access to a variety of healthcare services directly within the community can help address these challenges. Indigenous control over healthcare delivery is essential to honouring self-determination, addressing health inequities, and ensuring culturally safe care.

This research is to investigate how to improve pharmacy access in a remote First Nations community by understanding patient and care provider perspectives on the importance of various pharmacy services at an individual and community level.