Dartmouth, NS – A survey of Nova Scotians conducted by Abacus Data last week has found that 77 per cent of the province’s residents say they are extremely concerned or very concerned about accessing health today and 88 percent are concerned about accessing health care in the future.

The same survey found that 87 percent of Nova Scotians either strongly agree or agree that the government should improve access to health care by making pharmacist health care services available in all pharmacies.

“The people of Nova Scotia are facing a health care crisis,” says Rose Dipchand, Chair of the Board of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS). “As the province’s most accessible health care providers, we are ready, willing and able to help Nova Scotians having problems accessing care.”

PANS recently called on the Province of Nova Scotia to reinvest some of its savings from the new pan-Canadian agreement (signed between the provinces and the country’s generic drug makers) in pharmacy services to alleviate some of the stresses in province’s health care system and increase access to health care for Nova Scotians.

Abacus found that patients who used pharmacy services, such as renewals, immunizations, prescribing and assessing for minor ailments, and chronic disease management, were highly satisfied with the quality of care they received.  The survey also inquired about reasons for patients not accessing pharmacy services.

“The survey identified cost as the number one barrier for patients accessing pharmacy services,” says PANS CEO Allison Bodnar. “This is an increase over last year and one of the reason why we have reached out to the province’s Department of Health and Wellness.”

Abacus Data also found that pharmacists continue to remain one of the most trusted health care providers in Nova Scotia with 98 percent of Nova Scotians having a positive view of those in the profession. The only health care provider that ranked higher were paramedics at 99 percent.

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For more information, please contact:

Amy Wagg
Director of Communications
Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia
Phone: (902) 422-9583 ext. 4
Email: amy@pans.ns.ca