I have to say that I see such a strong role for pharmacists in addressing both vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. I was someone who gave COVID-19 vaccines and had this beautiful, protected time with patients, when I could make sure the experience was a positive one, so they felt confident about the informed choice they were making, told their friends, shared their experience, and highlighted pharmacists as reliable sources of valuable and important health information. That's part of it.
In saying that, I think we also need pharmacy services to be funded, so we can continue to provide care. The traditional model we've seen has been pharmacists in more of a dispensary role, but those days are gone. We really do need to access and utilize our medication experts, who are conveniently located within five kilometres of most Canadians. I am obviously biased, but I really feel that pharmacists can be part of the solution, especially as we move forward in talking about the promotion of vaccines and addressing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation—not just in the vaccine space, but drug misinformation, as well.
There's so much opportunity, and I appreciate the conversation and dialogue. I almost feel as if I were sitting in on a CE with Dr. MacDonald, so thank you very much for all the wisdom you shared in your responses.