Sobeys Inc. is collaborating with a medical cannabis management provider to roll out access for patients at its 425 pharmacies across the country.
Sobeys has partnered with Pathway Health’s “Medical Cannabis Management Systems” (MCMS) to implement the provider’s services at all of the company’s banners with pharmacies – Sobeys, Safeway, Lawton Drugs, FreshCo, Foodland, Thrifty Foods and IGA.
Pathway’s MCMS is designed for retail pharmacies to provide access points for medical cannabis care and enable pharmacists to offer medical cannabis assessments to appropriate pharmacy patients. Under the MCMS, patients are then connected either to their primary physician, a Pathway physician or nurse practitioner for further evaluation through either physical or virtual care. The MCMS can also be integrated as applicable, into a formal medication review for the pharmacist. The MCMS consists of online accredited education modules. The management system also offers tools for the pharmacist, including marketing and patient support materials, consent forms, patient care assessment/tracking tools, standard operating procedures, and further continuing education. Intellectual property rights around the branding and naming of the MCMS are owned by Pathway.
The MCMS is starting in Nova Scotia and will roll out to the rest of Atlantic Canada and the remainder of Sobeys’ 425 pharmacies across the country.
“We believe it is essential for Canadians to have access to support from experienced healthcare professionals to help them navigate medical cannabis safely and effectively,” says Marie-Claude Vezina, vice president and general manager, Sobeys National Pharmacy. “Pathway Health is the leader in providing medical cannabis services in Canada and their experience in this area makes them a perfect partner for Sobeys pharmacists to provide safe and medically appropriate guidance as a vital part of their health care team.”
