About Me

Upon graduation from pharmacy school in 2011, I decided embark on a new adventure and leave Newfoundland. I moved to New Brunswick, started my practice as a community pharmacist and fell in love with my community and my role within the healthcare system. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic I made the decision to move back to my home province to be closer to my family.

I have since returned to work with the Sobeys Pharmacy group and continued my practice in community pharmacy. As a licensed pharmacist in Newfoundland and Labrador, I am a registrant with our regulatory body, the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board, and a member of the Pharmacists' Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Community pharmacy is a unique position within the healthcare system as pharmacists are primary care providers readily accessible to the people we serve. In my practice I strive to provide the highest quality and ethical care, to be a source of sound health advice, to be transparent and accountable for my actions, and to advocate for my patients and their health. However, in my decade of practice I have seen gaps in care, limited resources, and often a lack of accessibility. In order to better understand these challenges, I need to broaden my knowledge of our healthcare system.

To do so, I have enrolled in a Master of Health Studies program. As a requirement of the program, I have developed this portfolio as a place to share health resources and details of my professional experiences. Upon successful completion of this degree, I hope to gain the skills and abilities to affect change, not only within the field of pharmacy but in the greater healthcare system as well.

I am looking forward to what the future holds!

Please see below for more details about my education and professional experiences.

About: About

Pharmacy Practice in Newfoundland and Labrador

The practice of pharmacy in Newfoundland and Labrador is regulated by the Pharmacy Act (2012) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board (NLPB) which is a self-governing entity with a mission to protect the public by governing pharmacy practice and ensuring a standard of care (NLPB, 2021). A subsection of the Pharmacy Act, Pharmacy Regulation (2014), establishes the criteria that all practicing pharmacists in the province must meet in order for the NLPB to issue registration and licensing:

successful completion of Parts I and II of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada Qualifying Examination,
successful completion of the NLPB Jurisprudence exam,
obtain a criminal records check,
maintain up to date First Aid and CPR certification,
retain professional malpractice and liability insurance,
obtain yearly membership with the Pharmacists' Association of Newfoundland and Labrador,
complete a minimum of 15 continuing education credits yearly. (Office of the Legislative Counsel of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2014)

The NLPB has also established a Code of Ethics (2021), which serves as guiding principles and competencies for licensed pharmacists to uphold in their practice and states that registrants:

hold the health and safety of each patient to be of primary consideration;
maintain a professional relationship with each patient;
respect the autonomy, values, and dignity of each patient;
respect and protect the patient's right to confidentiality;
respect the patient’s right to receive care;
observe the law, preserve high professional standards, and uphold the dignity and honour of the profession;
continuously improve their professional knowledge and skills;
cooperate with colleagues and other health care professionals to ensure optimal patient-centered care;
contribute to the health care system and to societal health needs;
act to enhance and nurture the profession of pharmacy. (NLPB, 2021)

References

Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board. (2021). About the board. https://nlpb.ca/about-the-board/

Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board. (2014, September). The Code of Ethics. nlpb.ca/media/Code-of-Ethics-

Mar2021.pdf

Office of the Legislative Counsel of Newfoundland and Labrador. (2012). Pharmacy Act,

2012. www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/p12-2.htm

Office of the Legislative Counsel of Newfoundland and Labrador. (2014). Pharmacy Regulations,

2014. www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/regulations/rc140094.htm

About: About

Professional Experience

About: CV

Oct 2021 - Present

Staff Pharmacist

Sobeys Pharmacy

Torbay Road

St. John's, NL

Responsible for providing pharmaceutical care, medication reviews, patient assessments, immunization and injection services, patient counseling and education, and opioid maintenance therapy.

Sept 2013 - March 2020

Staff Pharmacist

Lawtons Drugs

Brookside Mall

Fredericton, NB

Hybrid pharmacy site that provided pharmaceutical care in both retail pharmacy and long-term care settings. Also acted as a satellite emergency prescription site for our long-term care pharmacy locations outside of the region. Provided medication reviews, patient assessments, immunization and injection services, patient couseling and education, opioid maintenance therapy and Humira patient education and training. Temporarily responsible for providing Holkira patient education and support.

Dec 2012 - Sept 2013

Staff Pharmacist

Sobeys Pharmacy Brookside Mall

Fredericton, NB

Responsible for providing pharmaceutical care, medication reviews, patient assessments, immunization and injection services, patient counseling and education.

July 2011 - Dec 2012

Relief Pharmacist

Sobeys Pharmacy Group

Southern New Brunswick

Provided relief shifts for all Lawtons and Sobeys Pharmacy locations in Southern New Brunswick.
Responsible for providing pharmaceutical care, medication reviews, immunization and injection services, patient counseling and education, and opioid maintenance therapy.