To respect the data sovereignty of our partners, most of the project details are available to partners only. Please feel free to contact the UPROOT team should you have any questions. If you are meant to have access to any of these projects, please email the team at uproot.team@ubc.ca.
Mobilizing Local Pharmacy Resources to support COVID-19 Education
Background: Northern BC First Nation communities are affected disproportionately by the impacts of COVID-19, and remote regions are at heightened risk of poorer disease outcomes given limited access to regional health care services. Vaccinations against COVID-19 can help prevent and limit the detrimental effects of the disease, hence appropriate education and knowledge of available products is essential.
Goal: To create and deliver an online educational presentation regarding COVID-19 and vaccines to a BC First Nation community. This initiative also served to increase the interface between the local pharmacy and the members of the First Nation.
Methods: A BC First Nation partnered with a local pharmacy and the project team to develop a shared presentation to community members. The project members developed the presentation by interviewing select community members to identify learning objectives for the presentation. Next, a report detailing available community pharmacy resources was prepared in collaboration with the local pharmacy.
Outputs:
- COVID-19 Educational Presentation
- Report of Available Community Pharmacy Resources*
Community Partner(s)
Carolyn MacKinnon
Johanne Chaine, Pharmasave
Student(s)
Sara Bucholtz, E2P PharmD Student
Seamus Mcgrath, E2P PharmD Student
Community-Oriented Marijuana Education
Background: Local healthcare providers at a health services centre in a BC First Nation have noted increased recreational use of marijuana/cannabis. Both these healthcare providers and community members have expressed need for more education around this subject. The community’s local pharmacy is a primary source of medications and health education, hence is a valuable resource in this community education initiative.
Goals: To increase community knowledge around both the recreation and medicinal use of marijuana, and to increase the interface between the BC First Nation and their local community pharmacy.
Methods: The project team engaged with community partners from the BC First Nation through one-on-one interviews to better understand the marijuana use and understanding within the community. An environmental scan and literature search on marijuana use in First Nations communities was completed to create a summary report of findings. The project team collaborated with the community’s local pharmacy to develop an educational presentation on the benefits, concerns, and availability of marijuana to the First Nation’s community which was delivered via Facebook live.
Outputs:
- Community Marijuana Educational Presentation
- Project Onboarding and Description for Community Marijuana Education
Community Partner(s)
Carolyn MacKinnon
Johanne Chaine, Pharmasave
Student(s)
Alicia Klaassen, E2P PharmD Student
Alcohol Use Disorder Resource Guide
Background: Indigenous populations are disproportionally represented amongst patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Indigenous-led programming for alcohol use is important to optimize patient outcomes and overcome these health disparities. A remote BC First Nation identified a need for additional resources pertaining to AUD for community members seeking support from the local community health centre while they may or may not be awaiting access to AUD treatment centres.
Goals: To supply a comprehensive resource guide on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), including patient-friendly resources for the both pre- and post-treatment centre settings, as a tool for the health care providers of a BC First Nation to best support patients with AUD.
Methods: This project was completed in collaboration with the Nursing Manager and the Support Coordinator for the First Nation. Eight resources were created and combined into the Resource Guide, including patient-friendly information and references for pharmacological treatment and management of AUD.
Outputs:
- Comprehensive Alcohol Use Disorder Resource Guide
- Patient-friendly resource about acamprosate
- Patient-friendly resource about naltrexone
- Patient-friendly resource about alternative pharmacological treatments
- Strategies to reduce drinking
- Infographic about vitamins
- Antibiotics reference sheet for health centre staff
- Withdrawal management options summary table for health centre staff
- AUD pharmacological treatment options summary table for health centre staff
Community Partner(s)
Carolyn MacKinnon
Connie Nole
Student(s)
Kalveen Sidhu, E2P PharmD Student
Sarah Burke, E2P PharmD Student
Designing a Diabetes Self-Management Course
In collaboration with the health centre for a local BC First Nation, this project designed a six-week course on diabetes self-management for community members who have or have been newly diagnosed with diabetes.
The course was divided into six modules: 1) Introduction, 2) Holistic Care and Diabetes, 3) Nutrition and Lifestyle, 4) Medications, 5) Managing Diabetes, and 6) Diabetes and Mental Health. For each module, project members created a series of PowerPoint slides, patient handouts containing visual resources and activities, and facilitator handouts with notes, information for preparation, and materials needed for each module.
Community Partner(s)
Carolyn MacKinnon
Connie Nole
Student(s)
Bella Woroshelo, E2P PharmD Student
Nakya Zimmer, E2P PharmD Student
Jaelyn Argue, E2P PharmD Student
