The development of any national home care plan will see pharmacists playing an integral role, according to representatives from national pharmacy organizations. About 300 invited delegates attended a recent national conference on home care, sponsored by the federal government. While federal Health Minister Allan Rock also voiced his support, he stopped short of commiting any funds or announcing a plan of action.
All provinces offer some sort of publicly funded home or community care programs.
The scope and development of these programs, however, vary widely. For example, Manitoba has had a home care program since 1974, while the program in Nova Scotia is less than three years old. The scope of a national home care program has yet to be defined. In addition to medical and social services for the frail, elderly and chronically ill, some see home care incorporating many of the acute-care services that until recently had been provided in hospitals. In fact, the offloading of many of these services, due to hospital closures and cutbacks, has overwhelmed the capacities of existing home care programs.