» Canadian Forum


Prescription to Get Active: Update


BY PERRY TUCCIARONE


dustry in July’s issue of Fitness Business Canada. Developed in Alberta in 2011, the program is now a national not-for- profit organiza- tion. It is a unique partnership of fam- ily doctors, other health care pro- viders, and recre- ation and fitness organizations. RxTGA utilizes


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the motivational power of a written prescription to en- courage sedentary patients, who are at risk of developing chronic disease, to


become more physically active. While the idea of a written prescrip-


tion for physical activity is not new, the collaborative partnering of community and primary care providers makes this initiative unique in Canada.


News from the board of directors: • RxTGA celebrated its fifth anniver-


sary in October. • The program has grown tremen-


dously and is continuing to expand throughout Alberta with nine new members joining this quarter. We have also received interest from or- ganizations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Northwest Territories. • An information package for pro-


spective members, which provides de- tailed information about the program, is now available on our website. • The board is currently working on


a toolkit that will provide information on how to form a chapter as well as templates for communications. • The RxTGA initiative was present- ed at the August canfitpro world fitness


38 Fitness Business Canada November/December 2016


expo in Toronto by Melanie Fuller (Pan Primary Care Networks project manager) and Scott Wildeman (Fitness Industry Council of Canada board member). • An Ontario chapter has formed


and has announced approval from the Markham-Stouffville Hospital man- agement team to begin implemen- tation of the program in the city of Markham. Prescribers here currently serve 30,000 patients; physical activ- ity prescriptions will be launched in early 2017. This will be the first offi- cial launch of our initiative outside of Alberta.


Next steps for the Markham launch: • The Alberta Personal Care Network


Welcome Manual is being reviewed by the Markham-Stouffville Hospital management team, which is also mak- ing revisions that reflect the laws, rules and terminology of the Ontario medi- cal system. • The Ontario chapter is compil-


ing all the necessary RxTGA informa- tion, documents, marketing materials and an action plan for the Markham launch. Thank you to everyone involved for


their interest and participation in the RxTGA program as we continue to ex- pand the initiative across the coun- try. FBC


Perry Tucciarone is on the strategic leader- ship committee of Prescription to Get Active in Ontario.


For more information, contact Perry Tucciarone at perry.tucciarone@merchanttreasury.com or Melanie Fuller at info@prescriptiontogetactive.com, or visit www.prescriptiontogetactive.com.


rescription to Get Active (RxTGA) continues to make great strides since its national introduction to the fitness in-


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