A recent survey conducted by TELUS Health to determine top pharmacy trends in Canada notes that pharmacists’ expanded scope of practice is the top trend shaping the industry over the next two to three years. Respondents also say technology integration and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) is another trend, alongside the use of centralized prescription filling services which free up pharmacists’ time for patient consultation.
Expanded scope of practice was identified by 85 per cent of the 150 pharmacists TELUS surveyed. “In recent years, Canada’s pharmacies have increasingly been pulled into the centre of primary care delivery,” TELUS’ researchers write in the report, The top five pharmacy trends for 2026: Innovation, automation, and the next wave of care. “Pharmacists are increasingly becoming a first line of support as Canada faces a shortage of healthcare professionals.”
They note that changes to the Canada Health Act in April 2026 will formally count pharmacists, nurse practitioners and midwives among primary care providers. That said, a proportionate increase in administrative work is preventing pharmacists from fully embracing the expanded role.
“The lack of a dedicated and sustainable funding model in most provinces creates additional barriers for pharmacists who are willing to shift their focus from dispensing medications to primary care. If these pressures aren’t alleviated, then there’s a real risk of pharmacies experiencing the same attrition that is happening among physicians,” they add.
Use of artificial intelligence
AI use is a top trend according to 47 per cent of the survey’s respondents, but heavy use is rare – noted by only three per cent of respondents. “AI chatbots, assistants, and copilots are less well-received by pharmacists, with effectiveness ratings of only 38 per cent among survey respondents. Tools specially designed for business, administration, and pharmacy workflows were ranked better, with scores ranging from 55 per cent to 75 per cent effectiveness,” they state. “It’s evident that more work needs to be done to build AI-powered solutions that directly and specifically address pharmacy needs.”
The mainstreaming of GLP-1 drugs, they note, is also driving interest in virtual and telepharmacy services and direct-to-consumer prescription services.
Finally, they say centralized prescription fulfilment is increasingly of interest, with 22 per cent calling it a high-impact trend in the next two years. “In 2026, the focus is turning to better interoperability and AI-driven forecasting so central fill acts as a real-time inventory and data hub,” they write. “Cooperative central fill is also growing, letting independent pharmacies share automation scale.”
Barriers to using such services include the need for change management (cited by 62 per cent of respondents) and the initial cost (cited by 57 per cent of respondents). “As pharmacies take on more of a role in primary care, it becomes increasingly important that pharmacists can share information and data with other healthcare professionals,” says the report. “Canada hasn’t yet realized this opportunity, largely because of the same jurisdictionally and regulatory fragmentation that had confounded efforts in ensuring data interoperability for healthcare.”
