Bloom Program expands mental health support

Community pharmacies are becoming key entry points for mental health and addictions care as a provincial partnership continues to grow.  

Through the Bloom Program, people can access supports in managing medication-related issues, as well as information about community mental health and addictions resources. There is no cost or waitlist for enrollment for this service, which also includes people receiving one-on-one care and patient advocacy. 

Bloom supports pharmacists in offering enhanced services through in-depth medication therapy management, in areas such as medication optimization, addressing issues surrounding treatment-limiting adverse effects and/or adherence, polypharmacy and deprescribing.  

While not all community pharmacies participate in the Bloom Program, they are all situated to provide education and information to people living with mental illness and substance use disorders, says Alex Hosein, the Bloom Program coordinator at Nova Scotia Health since December 2022. 

“Bloom is collaborative and can support both unattached and attached patients, in partnership with their care team. Bloom pharmacists also educate and advocate for their patients and assist with broader system navigation.” 

The program continues to grow as word spreads about the services it provides. Over the course of several years, pharmacy enrolment has increased from 47 in December 2022 to 64 as of December 2025. This is due, in part, to introducing community pharmacy primary care clinics in January 2023 and  increasing the scope of practice and services offered at pharmacies, Hosein said. 

“With more pharmacies becoming involved, more community members will become aware of the program and the care it provides,” Hosein said. “This will lead to increased awareness and integration of services available to individuals across the province.” 

In their role, Hosein offers training and support to pharmacists, provides information and feedback regarding the program and runs quality assurance processes to ensure positive outcomes for everyone involved. 

“This could involve a mix of travel to different pharmacies, training new pharmacists, troubleshooting operations at various pharmacies and conducting Bloom Program audits,” Hosein explained. 

The program would not be able to support patients the way it does without the work of its dedicated, compassionate and highly skilled team, both within the community wellness and supports department at the MHAP, as well as those at community pharmacies, providers and community organizations throughout Nova Scotia. 

“The best part of this role is the partnership, connection and problem-solving opportunities that Bloom provides,” Hosein said. 

For more information about the program, or where to find your participating community pharmacy, please visit the Bloom website. 

Photo of Alex Hosein, Bloom Program coordinator.