www.nspharmacy.ca, the official website of the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator (NSPR), provides information about the pharmacy regulator, pharmacist and pharmacy technician registration, pharmacy licensure, and pharmacy practice in our province.

The information on this site is intended as a resource to pharmacy professionals and future pharmacy professionals, and to the public.

Public interpretation of health information on this site should not be substituted for the advice of a healthcare professional. For specific health matters, visitors to this site are encouraged to consult their pharmacist or other appropriate healthcare provider.

Occasionally, alternate websites are referenced on this site. This does not imply an endorsement by NSPR. The Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator does not endorse specific organizations, products, or therapies.

Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, and we acknowledge them as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

We respect and honour the Peace and Friendship Treaties that were signed in this territory, setting the terms of coexistence between settlers and the Mi’kmaq people. These Treaties remain in place today.

We recognize our responsibility to uphold the Treaties in the spirit of Reconciliation and collaboration. We acknowledge the harms that have created and continue to create health inequities for Mi’kmaq People, and we commit to moving forward in partnership.

We are all Treaty People.

We recognize the histories, legacies and contributions of African Nova Scotians, a distinct people with connections to the original 52 land-based Black communities. African Nova Scotians have been a key part of enriching the culture and history of Mi’kma’ki for more than 400 years.

Mi’kma’ki includes all of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, part of New Brunswick, the Gaspé region of Quebec, part of Maine, and southwestern Newfoundland.

January 19, 2023

Statement from the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists Regarding the Healthcare Summit

January 19, 2023 (Halifax) – As the provincial pharmacy regulator, the Nova Scotia
College of Pharmacists (NSCP) participated in the summit with Premier Houston and
Health Minister Michelle Thompson to propose solutions to Nova Scotia’s healthcare
crisis.

“Nova Scotians need all health professions working collaboratively towards a shared
vision of a transformed healthcare system where patients receive the right care from
the right provider at the right time,” said Beverley Zwicker, NSCP CEO and Registrar.
“I was encouraged to hear Premier Houston and Health Minister Thompson
emphasize their openness for innovative healthcare delivery and to removing barriers
at the government level,” said Zwicker. “The NSCP has been actively working over the
last several years to ensure the regulatory framework enables pharmacists to make
full use of their knowledge and skills to meet the population’s health needs, but this
cannot happen without fundamental changes in how healthcare is delivered.”
Pharmacists working in Nova Scotia have one of the broadest scopes of practice in
Canada. “We know that pharmacists being better positioned to address primary care
needs related to medication will improve the health of Nova Scotians. Making full use
of pharmacists in this way will also help alleviate unnecessary strain on our EDs and
improve access to care.”

Nova Scotians can rest assured that the evolving pharmacy care they are able to
receive in their communities is safe. “This is care that the NSCP has enabled because
it is appropriate and, in the public’s best interest. Many pharmacists have already
been providing this type of care over the past several years and now we are scaling
up,” Zwicker added.

“These are extremely challenging times for our province, but I left the summit feeling
encouraged. I believe that as all healthcare partners work together real change can
and will be realized,” said Zwicker.

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For more information, contact:

Leanne Lagsiar, B.A., B.PR.
Communications Manager
902.223.1252
llagsiar@nspharmacists.ca