It will go all the way from formal partnership agreements to the full extent of merging and becoming one institution. In a restructured hospital system, Crockett foresees changes in the way pharmacists will provide professional services. Pharmacists will become much more visible as part of the cost of these programs, and team managers will be looking to them for a value-added role and good service to that team. If pharmacists can provide that, it has been shown that there's strong support for their role in patient-focused care. The threat to jobs Budget cuts and restructuring have created concern among health care providers across the country about the future of their jobs.
Some centres report no job losses in pharmacy, although hiring remains fairly static.
In Winnipeg, pharmacy departments have seen some staff cuts, says Hall. It varies from facility to facility. We have had job cuts for some specific programs, but we've expanded other programs and that's offset the magnitude of the cuts. The biggest impact so far has been on people who would like to have jobs in pharmacy but can't get in. However, the expectation is that in the coming year, there will be substantial cuts if the plan to convert Misericordia and Seven Oaks into different facilities goes ahead.