Managing Medication in Rural Spaces – What You Need to Know
- Sage Milne
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Management of medications as you age can be challenging. Older adults in Canada represents the largest users of prescription medications in the population. Rural spaces are older. Demands for healthcare increase as people age. This results in a large proportion of older adults that live in rural communities that require assistance with medication.
There are also factors that can limit access to healthcare resources such as distance from and availability of a family doctor. Other limitations that can arise is from poor and inclement weather. This combination of factors presents challenges for people wanting to learn how to manage their medications.
Understanding some of these challenges and discussing how people can manage their medications is an important discussion.
Webinar – Medication Management and What Tools are Right for You!
On December 2nd, 2025, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) hosted a ZOOM webinar on "Medication Management: What Are the Right Tools for You”. The keynote speaker was Dr. Tejal Patel. They are a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy.
They were joined by Kristen Watt, Registered Pharmacist and Owner of Kristen's Pharmacy in Southampton, and Sarah Milner, Executive Director of the Central Lambton Family Health Team in Petrolia.
Watch the full webinar on YouTube: Medication Management | S06 E05
Gateway CERH has previously had the welcomed Kristen Watt to discuss topics such as:
There were some key takeaways from this discussion.
Get to Know Your Community Pharmacist
Pharmacists are found in rural and urban places. The Rural Ontario Institute has a Community Wellbeing Dashboard and map where you can learn about healthcare resources local to you. As Kristen Watt explained, pharmacies can create tools on request such as blister packs and are often the first phone call by your hospital to know what medications you are taking.
You can schedule an appointment with your community pharmacist and have a greater discussion on effective tools and effects of medications. There are many pharmacists that exist and it is easy to switch your medication to be received at a different site.
Be Prepared for Inclement Weather in the Winter
Knowing the hours of your healthcare provider’s office is important. With many emergency rooms closing in Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce Counties, and holidays, many healthcare sites (hospital and family health teams) may have limited or reduced hours of operations.
Road closures and low visibility can present hazards. It is hard to get to your local pharmacy if you are snowed in. You can discuss with your local pharmacist on having additional doses available over the winter as necessary.
To know more about preparing for inclement weather you can find information on:
Medications Change Their Impact on You as You Age
Impacts of aging can create different or changing reactions to medications. Your local pharmacist and family doctor are great resources to help you understand these changes.
The discussion presented a wealth of resources for older adults including:
Health in Aging | Medications Work Differently for Older Adults
Sinai Health | Safe Medication Use for Older Adults
About Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Founded in 2008 in the community of Seaforth, ON, Gateway CERH is a not-for-profit rural health research organization run by a community-based volunteer board of directors. Gateway CERH's main mission is to better the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and communication. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
A brief disclaimer: the views expressed in these lectures may not necessarily reflect Gateway CERH’s views or opinions, but we believe in providing a platform for a range of perspectives and thoughtful discussion.
Gateway CERH has a full library of lectures and information about the upcoming presentation that can be found on our website: Lecture Series
Or watch all past lecture online on YouTube: Gateway CERH YouTube
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