A time to appreciate a cornerstone of health care
Pharmacy Appreciation Month (PAM) is celebrated every March in British Columbia and across Canada to recognize the vital role pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy teams play in our health care system. Pharmacists are medication experts who provide essential services, including immunizations, medication management, prescribing for minor ailments and contraception and much more.
Pharmacists ensure patients receive safe, effective, and accessible care. PAM is an opportunity to thank pharmacy professionals for their dedication and advocacy. Whether through a simple "thank you" or initiatives like the Buy a Coffee for a Pharmacist campaign, PAM encourages the public to show appreciation for their trusted health care providers.
Meet our pharmacists!
Pharmacists are at the heart of our communities, providing expert care, advice, and support every day. As we celebrate Pharmacy Appreciation Month, we’re sharing stories from pharmacists across British Columbia — highlighting their dedication, challenges, and impact. Get to know a few of our members by reading their profiles below!
Cory Sydorenko is Pharmacy Director, Western Canada, at Neighbourly Pharmacy. His role includes overseeing 134 community pharmacies in British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Waterloo and is a registered pharmacist in both Ontario and British Columbia. Read More
Charley Zhang currently serves as Manager of Pharmacy Services at Pacific Blue Cross. The 2015 University of British Columbia graduate spent most of his early career in community pharmacies before broadening his interest towards policy development through a role on the Drug Benefit Council for the provincial Ministry of Health in 2019. He joined Pacific Blue Cross in 2022. Read More
Since first becoming licensed as a pharmacist in 2000, Tamiz Kanji spent a decade working for an independent pharmacy. In 2005, he became a lecturer at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and in 2016 he was granted tenure as a senior instructor. In 2018, Kanji became the Director of Continuing Pharmacy Professional Development (CPPD). In this position, he works to deliver accredited learning programs for pharmacists. In 2023, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the BC Pharmacy Association and College of Pharmacists of BC, he began working on and publishing educational modules for pharmacists to support the pharmacists’ ability to prescribe for minor ailments and contraception services (MACS). Read More
Ruby Maw is the only pharmacist from British Columbia among the 15 people enrolled in the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) Advanced Primary Care Pharmacist Training Program. She initially left her hometown of Armstrong to pursue her pharmacy education at the University of British Columbia, graduating in 2018. After graduation, she initially worked in Armstrong and Enderby before settling into a community pharmacist position in Hogarth's Clinic Pharmacy in Vernon. Read More
Curtis Fieseler, pharmacy manager at Pharmasave Highway 97/Ellis in Kelowna, found himself among those touched by the McDougall Creek wildfire in August 2023. From an early age, Curtis has been a passionate advocate for health and fitness, driven by a deep desire to share the significance of well-being with his community. This article chronicles Fieseler's experiences during this emergency, shedding light on his dedication to his community and his crucial role as a health-care professional. Read More
Charles Au is the Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist for the Fraser Northwest region. He completed his hospital pharmacy residency in 2012 and is also a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. Prior to his current role, he worked as a pharmacist at Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver and Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary. Read More
Ayah Kapani is a 2022 University of British Columbia Doctor of Pharmacy graduate and recipient of this year’s BC Pharmacy Association Scholarship. For the past five years, Kapani has also worked at Terra Nova Pharmachoice in Richmond, B.C. Each year, the University makes two BCPhA scholarships available, with recipients selected at the recommendation of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The scholarships are given with preference to a fourth year student and for a student from rural British Columbia. The scholarship was established in 1971 and since then, 71 awards have been distributed totaling $58,800. Read More
As a clinical pharmacist at Save-On-Foods, Joddie Xiong’s work involves developing, implementing and supporting clinical programs in individual pharmacies across British Columbia. She can often be found visiting different pharmacies, helping onboard teams onto new programs being launched and supporting direct patient care. Read More
On Oct. 15, 2020, pharmacy owner Nelli Jakac’s Pharmasave Pharmacy at 4054 Cambie St. in Vancouver caught fire along with other businesses on the block. Nothing could be saved. Less than a year later, Jakac has risen from the ashes to build a new pharmacy at 990 W. Broadway, Phoenix Pharmasave #37. Read More
Send us a team photo for a chance at a $100 gift card!
March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month. During the month, we will be sharing photos and stories of pharmacists and pharmacy teams from across the province. Submit your photos or story ideas to communications@bpcharmacy.ca to be featured on the Association's newsletters, social media channels and more. Send us a team photo for a chance to win a $100 gift card!
Send us your photos! Do you work alongside amazing pharmacy superstars? Get together and snap a team photo with your team facing the camera. Email the photos to communications@bcpharmacy.ca along with the name of your pharmacy and the names of the people in the photos, or attach the photos through the link below. Be sure to include a few words about what makes your team amazing! Each pharmacy team that submits a photo will receive an entry into a draw for a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
Photos must be submitted before midnight on Mar. 31, 2025. The draw will take place in early April. Only one entry per pharmacy team.
Did you know?
There are nearly 7,000 pharmacists working in B.C.
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here are more than 6,900 registered pharmacists in B.C., and the majority of them work in community pharmacies. The BC Pharmacy Association represents community pharmacists and has more than 3,800 pharmacists and 800 pharmacies in our membership.
About 1,100 pharmacists work in hospitals while another 250 pharmacists practice in other settings, such as in education or industry.
As a whole, British Columbia is home to more than 1,450 community pharmacies and there is a pharmacy in virtually every community of the province!
Pharmacists are vaccine superheroes
If you receive a vaccine for a publicly covered immunization in British Columbia, there is an overwhelming likelihood that you received your vaccine from a pharmacist.
On average in a single year, community pharmacists provide more than 2.5 million flu and COVID vaccines, plus an additional 700,000 other drug administrations (includes other types of vaccines).
Pharmacists dispensed more than 100 million prescriptions in a year!
As the population ages and more people move to British Columbia, pharmacists are becoming busier than ever.
Did you know that the number of prescriptions dispensed by pharmacists has increased by more than 25 million since 2017, when there were 76 million prescriptions dispensed?
As of 2024, pharmacists are now dispensing more than 102 million prescriptions annually.
Pharmacists can prescribe medications for minor ailments and contraception
Recognizing that there is a shortage of prescribers in British Columbia, in June 2023 pharmacists were enabled to assess and prescribe for a list of 21 minor ailments, plus prescribe contraception options.
In the 12 months since the pharmacist prescribing program began, pharmacists met with more than 310,000 patients across British Columbia and provided more than 430,000 minor ailment and contraception services. About 92 per cent of all community pharmacies in the province are participating!
Pharmacy Appreciation Month posters
Celebrate Pharmacy Appreciation Month this March by displaying a PAM poster in your pharmacy! These posters help spread awareness about the vital role pharmacists play in keeping our communities healthy.
Download and print your poster today to showcase your support and encourage patients to recognize their pharmacy teams. Let’s make this month one to remember!
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| Download Poster 1 | Download Poster 2 | Download Poster 3 |
Pharmacy services in British Columbia
B.C.’s pharmacists are here to help when you need it. We are ready to renew a prescription, make changes to an existing one, provide an emergency supply of medication, and to check the medications you are taking to make sure they're the best ones for you.
With more than 1,400 pharmacies and at least one pharmacy present in virtually every community in B.C., pharmacists are the most accessible health-care professionals for British Columbians.
Here are some of the services pharmacists in B.C. can provide:
Minor Ailments prescriptions - Book an appointment here | Pharmacists can assess/treat 21 conditions
On June 1, 2023, B.C. joined nine other provinces in Canada in which pharmacists can prescribe for minor ailments. Patients can book an appointment or walk-in to their local pharmacy and ask for a consultation. Pharmacists use their professional judgement to determine whether they should prescribe a medication, recommend an over-the-counter product, or refer the case to another practitioner.
Prescribe/dispense contraception - Book an appointment here | A list of covered contraception options in B.C.
In April 2023, the B.C. Ministry of Health announced that the province will provide universal coverage of prescription contraceptives. In June 2023, pharmacists were enabled to prescribe for contraceptives. The public can visit a pharmacy to request a prescription and pick up contraceptives at no charge.
Dispensing medications - Drop off your prescription, the pharmacist prepares your medication
Pharmacists prepare medications by reviewing prescriptions for accuracy, checking for drug interactions, and ensuring proper dosages. In a single year, pharmacists in British Columbia fill more than 100 million prescriptions!
Distributing COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits - Check a local pharmacy near you
Many community pharmacies in B.C. distribute COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits free of charge. These kits are rapid antigen tests that work by detecting the antigens (proteins) of the virus that causes COVID-19. They are free and anyone can ask for a kit without having to have to show ID.
Providing immunizations - Register to get immunized
Immunization is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from vaccine-preventable illnesses. British Columbian pharmacists were first enabled to administer vaccines in 2009, and can administer a wide range of vaccines for people four years and older.
Review your medications - Check eligibility
The Medication Review service provides you with a one-on-one consultation with your pharmacist to discuss your prescription medications to ensure they are right for you. This service is available for B.C. residents who are taking at least five different medications.
Change/renew your prescription or provide an emergency supply of medications - More information
Pharmacists are here to help you access your medications. British Columbian pharmacists can renew most prescriptions that were issued in the past 24 months, provide you an emergency supply for medications when you have an expired prescription, and review your prescription and make changes to it to optimize therapeutic outcomes.
Provide treatment for substance use disorder - Pick up naloxone at a pharmacy | Opioid Agonist Treatment services
Pharmacists provide treatment for substance use disorder by providing access to medications that prevent withdrawal and reduce cravings for opioids. Additionally, pharmacists dispense naloxone kits for people at risk of experiencing or witnessing overdose.
Tell us about your pharmacy experience!
Does your pharmacist go above and beyond?
We love hearing from our patients. Send us an email to communications@bcpharmacy.ca or use the form in the link below to share your experience with one of the many hardworking community pharmacists in British Columbia.