With Inter-Provincial Working Group Seeking Transformative and Innovative Healthcare Sustainability, Majority of Canadians Support Private Sector Pharmacies Extending Products and Services into Avenues of Healthcare
The working group, formed in January 2012 and co-chaired by Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Prince Edward Island Premier Robert Ghiz, is to give its first report in July at the Council of the Federation annual meeting in Halifax.
While the nature of how the potential extended products and services by pharmacies may be funded or paid for, the poll results suggest there may be options for the working group to consider exploring, both in patient care and private/public partnership, what these entities may contribute for their quest of a transformative and innovative healthcare sustainability in the future. In fact, the poll suggests that nine in ten support pharmacies to have `trained pharmacists administer doctor-prescribed vaccines and other drugs on site' (88%) and to have `outlets in malls or storefronts for medical services such as wheelchairs and other devices' (87%).
Further, a majority believe (82%) that if these products and services are owned and offered by pharmacies, quality of treatment or service would be higher (28%) or the same (54%) as treatment currently available.
Strong Canada-wide Support for Pharmacies Offering Extended Products and Services...
Respondents were asked to assess their levels of support, all things considered, for the prospect of "pharmacies` owned or operated by entities as Safeway, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix, Rexall, PharmaPlus, Overwaite, Gaurdia, Sobey's, Jean Coutu or Familiprix - or other more locally based independent pharmacy outlets, offering any of the following products or services:
A majority of Canadians would support pharmacies providing all of these products and services, though some have considerably more support than others. Quebec and the Atlantic provinces come out as the strongest supporters for most of the items measured, but support rings high in all regions.
In particular, support is very strong (88%) across Canada for pharmacies to have `trained pharmacists administer doctor-prescribed vaccines and other drugs on site' - 45% strongly, 43% somewhat. This offering has both the most overall support and also the highest proportion of Canadians saying they "strongly" support it. Specifically, those from Quebec (93%) are most likely to support this service (49% strongly/44% somewhat), followed by those from British Columbia (89% support - 49% strongly, 41% somewhat), Alberta (88% support - 54% strongly, 33% somewhat), the Atlantic provinces (88% - 46% strongly, 42% somewhat), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (85% - 39% strongly, 47% somewhat) and Ontario (84% - 39% strongly, 45% somewhat).
`Outlets in malls or storefronts for medical services such as wheelchairs and other devices' being offered by pharmacies is supported by 87% of Canadians - 34% strongly, 53% somewhat. Ontarians (90%) are most likely to support this (37% strongly, 53% somewhat), followed by the Atlantic provinces (89% support - 46% strongly, 43% somewhat), British Columbia (89% - 39% strongly, 50% somewhat), Alberta (87% - 31% strongly, 56% somewhat), Quebec (83% - 27% strongly, 56% somewhat) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (82% - 25% strongly, 57% somewhat).
Support for pharmacies offering `in-home nursing or medical care for seniors or others requiring attention' is held by 84% of Canadians - 43% strongly, 41% somewhat. Support is highest in the province of Quebec, where nine in ten (91%) support the service - 48% strongly, 43% somewhat. Next in order are the Atlantic provinces (90% - 47% strongly, 43% somewhat), British Columbia (84% - 43% strongly, 40% somewhat), Alberta (82% - 42% strongly, 40% somewhat), Ontario (81% - 41% strongly, 39% somewhat) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (80% - 30% strongly, 50% somewhat).
Eight in ten (81%) Canadians support pharmacies offering `outpatient clinics for physiotherapy or sports medicine.' Three in ten (29%) would strongly support the offering while 52% would somewhat support it. The Atlantic provinces are most likely to support (87% - 31% strongly, 56% somewhat), with British Columbia (85% - 35% strongly, 50% somewhat), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (82% - 25% strongly, 57% somewhat), Quebec (81% - 24% strongly, 57% somewhat), Ontario (79% - 31% strongly, 48% somewhat) and Alberta (79% - 29% strongly, 50% somewhat) rounding out the list.
Another eight in ten (79%) support pharmacies offering `laboratory or X-ray services' - 36% strongly, 43% somewhat. Quebec (86% support - 34% strongly, 52% somewhat) is the province with the most support for the service, followed by British Columbia (83% - 39% strongly, 44% somewhat), The Atlantic provinces (79% - 40% strongly, 39% somewhat), Alberta (76% - 30% strongly, 46% somewhat), Ontario (75% - 39% strongly, 36% somewhat) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (70% - 27% strongly, 44% somewhat).
Three quarters (75%) of Canadians support pharmacies offering `hospitals for specific treatments, such as geriatric care.' One third (32%) strongly support it while 44% somewhat support it. Once again Quebec citizens are most likely (80%) to support this form of care (30% strongly, 50% somewhat), with the rest of the list composing of British Columbia (79% - 34% strongly, 45% somewhat), the Atlantic provinces (77% - 41% strongly, 36% somewhat), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (76% - 30% strongly, 46% somewhat), Alberta (76% - 29% strongly, 47% somewhat) and Ontario (71% - 31% strongly, 39% somewhat).
Support for pharmacies offering `a hospice for those in need of palliative care' is held by 74% of Canadians (34% strong support, 40% somewhat support). In this instance, the Atlantic Provinces represent the region most likely to support the pharmacy offering, with 85% in support (43% strongly, 42% somewhat). British Columbia is next (75% - 37% strongly, 38% somewhat), trailed closely by Quebec (75% - 33% strongly, 42% somewhat), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (75% - 29% strongly, 46% somewhat), Alberta (74% - 30% strongly, 44% somewhat) and Ontario (71% - 34% strongly, 37% somewhat).
Seven in ten (71%) support pharmacies providing `ambulance or medical transport services' - 33% strongly, 38% somewhat. Support is highest in Quebec (77% - 30% strongly, 47% somewhat), then the Atlantic provinces (76% - 35% strongly, 42% somewhat), British Columbia (71% - 38% strongly, 33% somewhat), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (70% - 25% strongly, 45% somewhat), Ontario (68% - 35% strongly, 33% somewhat) and Alberta (66% - 32% strongly, 34% somewhat).
Seven in ten also support pharmacies providing `nursing homes', with three in ten (30%) strongly in support and 40% somewhat in support. Three quarters of those in the Atlantic provinces (75% - 32% strongly and 43% somewhat) and in British Columbia (74% - 31% strongly, 43% somewhat) support the service, followed by Ontario (70% - 32% strongly, 38% somewhat), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (69% - 30% strongly, 40% somewhat), Quebec (69% - 25% strongly, 44% somewhat) and Alberta (63% - 32% strongly, 31% somewhat).
Support is also strong for pharmacies operating `retirement homes,' with seven in ten (69%) Canadians reporting they support it - 29% strongly, 40% somewhat. A strong majority of those in the Atlantic provinces support the offering (78% - 33% strongly, 45% somewhat), with the rest of the provinces following at some distance: Saskatchewan/Manitoba (71% - 26% strongly, 44% somewhat), British Columbia (69% - 32% strongly, 37% somewhat), Quebec (69% - 25% strongly, 44% somewhat), Ontario (68% - 32% strongly, 37% somewhat) and Alberta (64% - 27% strongly, 36% somewhat).
Canadians Expect Level of Quality of Pharmacy Extended Services and Products Currently Offered by Others to Remain the Same or be Higher...
A majority believe (82%) that if these products and services are owned and offered by pharmacies, quality of treatment or service would be higher (28%) or the same (54%) as treatment currently available. Only 17% report they believe the quality would be lower. Those in Quebec appear most optimistic about the prospect of pharmacies offering these treatments and services, with 41% reporting they believe the quality would be higher, 51% believing it would be the same and 8% believing it would be lower. The Atlantic provinces follow (37% higher, 53% same, 10% lower), Alberta (25% higher, 48% same, 27% lower), Ontario (23% higher, 55% same, 21% lower) and British Columbia (22% higher, 56% same, 23% lower). Saskatchewan/Manitoba is the region with the smallest proportion of those who believe the services would be provided at a higher level of quality (17%), but a majority (69%) believe the quality would be the same and only one in seven (14%) express the belief that the quality would be lower.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted in April 26-30 2012 and released by Post Media as part of its ongoing series of insights on issues facing Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,030 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Global Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]
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