Help us celebrate Pharmacy Appreciation Month!
Every year in March, the Association participates in a national effort to increase the reputation of pharmacists among the public, decision makers and other health professions.
Some of your community's pharmacists include:
Community pharmacist and Association member Carmen Pallot is Pharmacy Manager of Pharmasave Old Mill Plaza in Lillooet. Recently, she was part of a team of health professionals who provided COVID-19 vaccinations to First Nations communities in the region.
Srinivasa Rao Sadasivuni is a pharmacist serving the community of Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast. Rao immigrated to Toronto in 2007. After spending a year completing his qualification exams to practice as a pharmacist, he moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2008 to seek a quieter lifestyle. He is currently working in the Sechelt Pharmasave, where he uses his academic background to teach the community about the importance of medication and its adherence.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Elements Compounding Pharmacy owner Priti Bhathella was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, and had to reduce her time at work while relying on her team to take on additional responsibilities. But she instilled in her employees the values of patient care and compassion, so she knew she could count on them.
Show off your pharmacy by sending in a team photo!
Pharmacy Appreciation Month is a chance to show off your pharmacy team to the public! Have a great team photo that you'd like to share? Send it in to communications@bcpharmacy.ca for a chance to be featured in our social media posts and member emails in March!
Nominate a pharmacist for a 2024 Pharmacy Excellence Award!
Nomination packages are filled out online
IMPORTANT: Please complete the online nomination process, or download and print a package, and submit completed packages to awards@bcpharmacy.ca.
A single nomination package for the awards will qualify the nominee for seven different awards. The awards this year are:
- Excellence in Patient Care Award: This award is presented to a pharmacist who has demonstrated ongoing excellence in patient care in their professional practice.
- Ben Gant Innovative Practice Award: This award is presented to a pharmacist who has demonstrated significant innovation in their respective practice and/or the profession.
- Murray Dykeman Mentorship Award: This award recognizes a pharmacist who has demonstrated outstanding mentorship to those early in their pharmacy career.
- Pharmacy Leadership Award: This award recognizes a pharmacist who has demonstrated commitment to leading the profession and its people forward and has made significant contributions to the profession of pharmacy.
- Collaborative Care Award: This award recognizes a pharmacist who has worked to create strong collaboration with other health-care providers. In doing so, they have promoted the value of pharmacists and have successfully advocated for the role of pharmacists in the primary health-care team.
- New Practitioner Award: This award recognizes a pharmacist within their first five years of practice. The nominee has demonstrated impact and commitment to the pharmacy profession by advancing their practice.
- Bowl of Hygeia Award: A pharmacist with an outstanding record of public and community service.
Volunteer to Host an MLA at your Pharmacy!
MLAs make up the body of decision makers in the province, and their choices often directly impact the profession of pharmacy in British Columbia. Pharmacy Appreciation Month is an opportunity to engage our provincial decision makers on matters important to pharmacy.
The program was a tremendous success last year. As part of our service to you as a member of the Association, we work to coordinate visits with the MLA's office and their local pharmacy to schedule times convenient for members and to help ease workflow.
This year, our aim is to advocate for further expansion to the pharmacists' scope in B.C. by asking the provincial government to consider enabling pharmacists to assess and prescribe for chronic conditions such as diabetes, COPD, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other similar conditions.
To express your interest in hosting a tour, please email communications@bcpharmacy.ca.