Pharmacies need more time. Not only are today’s pharmacists counselling patients on medications and providing new primary care programs, but they are also vaccinating millions of people and completing COVID-19 tests.

Pharmacists are trained to spot the signs of someone struggling to take their prescribed medications, taking them as directed is a chronic problem in Canada and worldwide. Medication adherence offers a practical solution to stay on track.

While remaining at home as long as possible is the goal for many, it takes planning to enable aging at home. For the Rusland family, it was a group effort to ensure Barb could maintain her independence.

As she ended their phone calls, Santina Nato would always ask her mother, Carmela, whether she had taken all of her medications for the day. It was a constant worry since the 85-year-old from Toronto was juggling 12 different oral medications to manage various chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.