Author: Centrum Pharmacy

Today we recognize the International Day for Persons with Disabilities — a reminder of the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and equitable healthcare for everyone in our community.

In recent months, insurers have been pushing harder to limit where patients can fill their prescriptions. This tactic is called “patient steering” — when an insurance company directs you toward a specific pharmacy or a Preferred Provider Network (PPN), often owned or partnered with the insurer itself.

At first glance, this may sound harmless. But here’s the problem:

Centrum Pharmacy has been at the forefront of recruiting new physicians for the Orleans area, helping hundreds of patients secure a much-needed family doctor. But why is there such an acute shortage in the first place? The answer lies in decades of systemic changes in medicine that have reshaped—and in many ways eroded—the role of the family physician.

Centrum Pharmacy has celebrated Ontario’s recent success in attracting family doctors to Orleans and across the province. But recruitment is only half the battle — retention is the critical factor in ensuring sustainable, long-term access to primary care.

A recent announcement that Novo Nordisk and PocketPills are teaming up to deliver Ozempic and Wegovy directly to patients has raised serious alarms across the pharmacy profession. At first glance, this might appear to be an “innovation” in access and convenience. But in reality, this is a classic example of a Preferred Provider Network (PPN)—a practice that restricts patient choice, undermines patient safety, and prioritizes profit and data collection over healthcare.

Canada is facing a deepening family doctor crisis. With an estimated 23,000 additional physicians needed nationwide, the shortage is straining communities, clinics, and—most importantly—patients. But while national solutions remain debated, Centrum Pharmacy in Orleans is taking real action—right now.

At Centrum Pharmacy, we believe that healthcare is more than just prescriptions—it’s about people, access, and trust. In the face of Canada’s worsening family doctor shortage, we’ve taken direct action.

In today’s challenging healthcare landscape, where corporate giants and online retailers prioritize scale and speed, the essence of pharmacy is at risk of being reduced to a mere transaction. But for over 25 years right here in Orleans, Centrum Pharmacy has operated under a different philosophy: our service model is built on trust lines—a sacred covenant of care with every individual we serve.

For over 25 years, Centrum Pharmacy has proudly been your independent, Canadian-owned NEIGHBORHOOD pharmacy in Orleans. We are not driven by corporate incentives; our focus is on the individual care of EACH valued customer and building the trust lines that keep our community healthy. This personal philosophy is now supported by strong evidence demonstrating the profound societal impact of expanded pharmacist care.

If you’ve visited an emergency department in Ottawa lately, you know the wait can be long — sometimes very long. New data from Health Quality Ontario shows that Ottawa’s emergency rooms have some of the longest wait times in Ontario just to see a doctor.