Home Healthcare Services

Did you know that you or a loved one can receive home healthcare services from a pharmacist and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) through your local Wellness Pharmacy?

The Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program is a referral-based, home care assistance program that complements a doctor’s care – in the comfort of your own home.  There is no additional charge for our “Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program” service.*

*certain criteria may apply

Most people think of a pharmacist as a person dispensing prescription drugs from behind the counter, but Wellness pharmacists are much more than that. A vital part of our Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program, our pharmacists visit patients in their homes to conduct wellness checks to:

• Review a patient’s current medication regimen
• Identify drug-related problems such as drug interactions, side effects and dosing issues
• Conduct a medicine cabinet review, and remove expired or outdated medications (disposing of them responsibly)
• Train patients on the use of medical devices such as a blood glucose meter or nebulizer
• Create a current medication list (Best Possible Medication History)
• Prepare a complete summary with recommendations on dosing, and changes to medication and/or medication regimen and send it to the patient’s physician and other members of the healthcare team
• Develop an Individualized Care Plan for the patient’s ongoing home health monitoring by a nurse
• Provide the physician and other members of the healthcare team with regular reports on health and medication status and concerns

Ongoing home care assistance provided by Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)

Patients receive ongoing wellness checks from Licensed Practical Nurses who provide customized home healthcare services as outlined in each patient’s Individualized Care Plan. Home monitoring visits may include:

• Administration of medications and monitoring of side effects
• Administration of injections – daily or weekly
• Application of transdermal patches
• Monitoring of blood pressure, pulse rate, body weight, blood glucose, and acute and chronic medical conditions
• Continued training on the use of medical devices and medication adherence with the goal of supporting patient independence and medication self-management

Who needs home healthcare services?

The Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program provides medication monitoring to ensure adherence, reduce errors, reduce the risk of additional costly treatments, ease stress on family and caregivers, improve management of health conditions and clinical outcomes, and improve the quality of life for our patients.

Ideal candidates for home care assistance include patients who:

• Are unable to manage their own medications after a sudden change in health status such as a stroke or heart attack
• Have difficulty taking their medications due to physical or cognitive barriers such as visual or mobility impairment, mental health concerns or addiction
• Have a history of medication-related hospitalizations or challenges in medication compliance
• Have multiple chronic conditions or complex medication regimens
• Need training on the use of medical devices such as blood glucose monitors, nebulizers, inhalers, or medication assistance with insulin injections
• Need home care following a hospital discharge

Our home healthcare services are designed to take care of the unique needs of the whole patient. We are a constant, supportive presence in our patients’ lives, providing more than medication monitoring.

Our home health nurses keep a watchful eye on many things like behavioural changes, weight loss, depression or sleeplessness. With permission, they check the fridges to make sure patients are eating properly. If anything is of concern, our nurses inform the right health professionals and follow up to make sure appropriate steps have been taken.

Family members take comfort in this extra level of care, which helps to alleviate some of the emotional stress and anxiety that comes from caring for loved ones with complex health concerns.

We recognize that medication monitoring is still needed, even on holidays, and have dedicated nurses and pharmacists who provide medication delivery and administration 365 days a year.

We take our role in patient care very seriously. Because to us, patients are about more than their medications. A whole health view that looks beyond the pill bottle is important in keeping them safe, independent and happy, and reducing reliance on an overburdened healthcare system.

If you or a loved one needs home healthcare services, we can help

When healthcare providers work together and share information, the result is better health outcomes for the patient. If you (or a loved one) require home care assistance with medication management, the use of medical devices, or would benefit from ongoing home health monitoring, talk to your doctor, case manager, or other healthcare professional about referring you to the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program.

You may have some questions about the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program. Find answers here.