After more than 26 years of dedicated leadership, Dr. Dan Martinusen will be stepping down as chair of the BC Renal Pharmacy Services Committee following the recruitment of a new chair. Under Dan’s guidance, BC Renal and its network have achieved significant advancements in renal pharmacy services, enhancing medication access, optimizing patient care, supporting system sustainability and establishing BC as a leader in this field.
Dan joined BC Renal in 1999 and immediately recognized the need for a more effective medication distribution system. Since taking on the role of chair in 2001, his leadership has been instrumental in developing and expanding BC Renal community pharmacy partnerships from 5 to 32 pharmacies, significantly improving medication access for kidney patients. In addition, his work in developing an anemia management algorithm in 2004 set a national precedent, leading to widespread adoption across Canada and generating significant cost savings for the health system.
Although it is not possible to capture the full extent of Dan’s contributions, some of his most notable accomplishments include:
- Spearheading the development of BC Renal’s community pharmacy partnerships, overseeing contracts for 22 years, and ensuring streamlined medication distribution for kidney patients.
- Establishing the BC Renal anemia management protocol, which has been adopted nationally and led to significant cost savings while maintaining high standards of care. These savings enabled several new therapeutic initiatives. The protocol was recognized by the Health Care Employers Association of BC with a Golden Apple Award for Collaborative Solutions.
- Leading the implementation of medication reconciliation (med rec) for BC kidney patients using PROMIS, which at the time was the only electronic health record system to integrate med rec through admission, transfer, and discharge. The impact with respect to reduced drug errors and hospital admissions, as well as savings in drug costs and streamlined care is immeasurable. This initiative has received awards from the BC Patient Safety and Quality Council, the Health Employers Association of BC and Canada Health Infoway, as well as recognition from Accreditation Canada as a “leading practice.”
- Developing and overseeing BC Renal’s formulary system, ensuring equitable access to essential medications, including innovative funding solutions for conservative care patients. Dan also worked with PharmaCare to include kidney medications into Plan W, also known as the First Nations Health Benefits, a PharmaCare plan that supports enhanced coverage for eligible prescription drugs, medical supplies and pharmacy services.
- Driving the creation of best practice guidelines and health information resources for health-care providers and patients on a wide range of topics, supporting patients not only in BC but around the world.
- Advocating for and helping to establish the Glomerulonephritis (GN) and Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) programs, which were first-in-kind, introduced novel pharmaceutical contracts and treatment pathways, and set new standards for kidney care in Canada.
- Actively contributing to BC Renal clinical committees, supporting key initiatives that have shaped kidney care across the province.
- Publishing numerous articles and research papers, further advancing knowledge and best practices in renal pharmacology.
- Mentoring numerous pharmacists and health-care professionals, fostering future leaders in renal clinical pharmacy and nephrology.
Dan’s unwavering commitment to evidence-based care and cost-effective solutions has ensured that BC has the most extensive financial support for kidney medications in Canada across four pharmacy formularies. Overall, the savings generated through novel programs and improved contracts has meant new medications could be funded over the years without increasing the per-patient medication budget. His contributions have led to improvements in patient care and outcomes, provincial drug policies, and clinical best practices. Among his individual accolades, he is a past recipient of the BC Renal Wilma Crockett Award and was recognized as a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Dan for his outstanding leadership, vision, and dedication to improving the lives of kidney patients in BC and beyond. His impact will continue to shape renal pharmacology for years to come.
BC Renal is recruiting a new chair for the Pharmacy Services Committee who will work closely with Dan and the Vice-Chair during the transition.
