May 2, 2025
Meet our speakers for Day 1 of our full sessions for the 2025 Annual Conference on May 2, 2025. For Day 2 sessions, please click here.
Registration and Check-in - 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
Breakfast and refreshments will be available during registration.
Territorial Welcome - 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Our 2025 Annual Conference will be taking place in Victoria, British Columbia, on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen speaking People and the Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation.
We will be opening our conference with a territorial welcome from Elder Butch Dick, a First Nation’s educator, activist, and artist who lives on the Songhees Nation.
Keynote Address - 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence
In this talk, David Chalk will share how everything is being influenced and guided by AI in amazing new ways. With 15 years of direct experience with AI, David knows the applications for every industry. Where it’s going, what it can do and what it can’t do. BC Pharmacists will leave this talk with a clear and practical understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in transforming business. With significant changes in the marketplace and growing pressures on pharmacy operations and the work environment, AI offers tools to augment abilities, eliminate redundant tasks, and increase efficiency while inspiring deeper engagement through enhanced access to knowledge and learning.
This presentation is designed to inspire confidence in AI as a powerful tool to unlock new opportunities for growth and market share. Those who embrace AI early will gain a significant advantage, positioning their businesses to lead with efficiency, innovation, and enhanced patient care.
About the speaker:
David Chalk is the Maverick Mind in AI and all things Technology.
David isn’t just your run-of-the-mill expert; he’s a trailblazing visionary in AI and technology, whose insights electrify Fortune 500 boardrooms. As a Change Management Business Coach, David possesses a rare gift: he demystifies the labyrinth of tech speak, making AI’s revolutionary impact on business crystal clear.
He’s the entrepreneurial spirit behind over 15 groundbreaking ventures. His trophy shelf is overflowing with accolades for retail innovation, marketing genius, and leadership, recognized as Canada’s Top Marketer by the Retail Council of Canada. With over 150 articles celebrating his visionary work and the landmark acquisition of Chalk Media by RIM in 2008, David’s impact is undeniable
He has never encountered a tech query he couldn’t untangle and explain with ease. This unparalleled expertise has placed him at the summit of Artificial Intelligence mastery.
For 12 spellbinding years, David was the charismatic host of “Chalk Media,” a TV phenomenon that guided millions through the tech jungle, introducing the latest gadgets and innovations with unmatched flair. His strategic genius caught the eye of none other than Bill Gates in the 90s, leading to a groundbreaking collaboration on Microsoft’s future directions.
Government Relations Panel - 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Join us for a government relations panel featuring former B.C. Members of the Legislative Assembly, who will discuss what works and doesn't work when advocating to provincial decision makers.
About the panelists:
Todd Stone was elected MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson in 2013, 2017, and 2020. Between 2013 and 2017, he served as British Columbia’s Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure, as well as Emergency Management and Deputy Government House Leader.
Between 2017 and 2024, Todd held numerous Shadow Minister roles, most recently Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. He served as Official Opposition House Leader between 2022 and 2024 before opting to not seek re-election.
As Founder, President & CEO of iCompass Technologies for 15 years prior to entering provincial elected office, Todd built a strong team to create cutting-edge SaaS-based tech solutions for public sector organizations across Canada and the United States.
Todd is the former vice-chair of Thompson Rivers University Board of Governors and has served on numerous boards such as ICBC, Acetech and the United Way. He and his wife Chantelle have three daughters.
Sonia Furstenau is the former Leader of the BC Green party. She served as MLA for Cowichan Valley for seven years, and as Cowichan Valley Area Director for Shawnigan Lake for three years.
It was her advocacy for protecting her community's drinking water that propelled Sonia into politics, and as an elected representative she oriented her work towards well-being of people and communities, championing public healthcare, mental health, and environmental protection.
Sonia has a Master's degree in History and a Bachelor's degree in Education; prior to politics she taught history, English, and Theory of Knowledge in high schools in Victoria and Shawnigan Lake.
Katrine Conroy had a varied career prior to becoming an MLA. As one of BCs first female power engineers she worked at Celgar Pulp Mill in Castlegar, the first female to work in the mill.
She was also an Early Childhood Educator, College Instructor and Executive Director for a multi service organization providing services to children and their families. In 2005 she was first elected as MLA representing the West Kootenays, holding numerous positions as an Opposition member.
Upon forming government in 2017 she was appointed Minister of Children and Families. After the 2020 election then Premier Horgan asked her to be the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and rural development, the first woman to hold that position. In 2022 Premier Eby appointed her the Minister of Finance. With all three Ministries she was also the Minister responsible for the Columbia Basin Trust, The Columbia Power Corporation and the Columbia River Treaty, otherwise known as All Things Columbia.
After 20 years, 30 if one includes her late husband Eds 10 years as MLA, Katrine decided to not run in the last election and officially retired Nov 2024. She now spends time on her farm gardening and raising purebred cattle, reading and travelling for pleasure, as well as enjoying time catching up with family and friends including her 9 grandchildren.
Message from the Minister of Health - 1:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Tune in for a message from B.C.'s Minister of Health, Josie Osborne.
Josie Osborne was first elected as the MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim in 2020.
Josie was appointed the Minister of Health in November 2024. She previously served as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship and Minister Responsible for Fisheries, and most recently as Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
Josie grew up on Vancouver Island and has lived in Tofino for over 20 years, first moving there to work as a fisheries biologist for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and later as executive director of an environmental education non-profit organization.
She was the Mayor of Tofino from 2013-2020, and also served as Chair and Vice-Chair for the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District. Josie also chaired the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional Hospital District for four years and sat on the Alberni-Clayoquot Health Network for six years. During her time in local government, Josie chaired the Tofino Housing Corporation and was a strong proponent for active transportation and regional transit. She has served as Chair of the Board for the Island Coastal Economic Trust, and in 2017, she was appointed by the BC Minister of Environment and Climate Change to the BC Clean Growth and Climate Action Advisory Council.
Updates from BC PharmaCare - 1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Discussion of the recent work in the Ministry of Health's Pharmaceutical, Laboratory and Blood Services Division.
About the speaker:
Dr. Ian Rongve was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Service Redesign, Research, and Innovation Division in June 2021 and later took on the role of Assistant Deputy Minister for the Pharmaceutical, Laboratory and Blood Services Division in December 2024.
Ian joined the Ministry of Health in June 2016 as Assistant Deputy Minister for the Provincial, Hospital and Laboratory Health Services Division. In May 2020, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the COVID Response and Health Emergency Management Division, ensuring an ongoing, focused response to supporting the health system within the context of COVID-19.
The Service Redesign, Research and Innovation Division supports British Columbia’s population and patients in accessing new innovations in care, British Columbia’s health services and health infrastructure in developing and scaling novel and sustainable models of delivery and will drive large scale innovation tackling the systems most significant challenges.
Prior to joining the Ministry of Health, Ian was Assistant Deputy Minister for the Knowledge Management and Accountability division at the Ministry of Education. From March 2012 to November 2013, he was the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Sector Strategy and Quality Assurance Division at the Ministry of Advanced Education.
Ian holds a Ph.D. in economics. He spent eight years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Regina, prior to moving back to British Columbia and joining the public service.
Working Together: Community Pharmacists & Family Practice - 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Across British Columbia, there is a shortage of family doctors. Patients who have family doctors and want same-day access, face challenges in seeing them in a timely manner. When a group of family doctors learned about pharmacists’ being able to prescribe for minor ailments and contraception (MACS), they sought to find out more. What the team at the North Shore Divisions of Family Practice discovered was more than just what community pharmacists had the scope to do. The work turned into an initiative aimed at enhancing communication between family practice offices and community pharmacies with a focus on identifying and overcoming barriers to collaboration.
With ongoing engagement, focus groups and surveys to better understand how the groups can support creating more same-day access and decreasing wait times, doctors and community pharmacists learned there are many opportunities to work together. In this session, Candace and Kyle will talk about their key learnings and how this approach can create a more efficient and effective health-care system for patients and how it can be easily adopted across the province.
About the speakers:
Candace Travis is the Practice Change Manager for the North Shore Division of Family Practice.
Her work experience comes from 25+ years of directly supporting medical offices to adopt workflows and technology to increase efficiency, create capacity and support our medical offices in providing the best patient care possible.
With the introduction of Primary Care Networks in BC, Candace's responsibilities have expanded to supporting many other roles including RNs, NPs, Clinical Pharmacists and Mental Health Clinicians working within Team Based Care settings.
Kyle Denley is a graduate of the University of British Columbia Pharmaceutical Sciences program in 2012 and has been practicing as a community pharmacist for 12 years.
He owns and operates a Pharmasave Health Centre in North Vancouver, specializing in Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder and Minor Ailment Assessments.
He is passionate about promoting interprofessional collaboration and utilizing the full pharmacy practice scope in his everyday practice. He was the recipient of the BCPhA 2023 Excellence in Patient Care Award. He continues to advocate for enhanced patient care services provided through community pharmacies.
From Bella Bella to Blue River: Preparing Pharmacy Graduates for Rural Practice - 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
The presentation will address the preparation of entry-to-practice PharmD students in providing safe and high quality patient care, with a focus on rural practice. It will also address student recruitment, student supports, the expanding scope of practice and the impact of preceptors on student learning.
Learning objectives will include:
- The knowledge, skills and experiences required to prepare graduates for team-based, pharmacist’s practice.
- The strategies and approaches taken by the Faculty in preparing pharmacy graduates for rural practice.
- Opportunities for pharmacists to engage with the Faculty in supporting the training of graduates for rural pharmacy practice.
About the speaker:
Dr. Lalitha Raman-Wilms is Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia. Previously, she served as Dean and Associate Dean at the University of Manitoba and the University of Toronto, respectively.
Her primary research and teaching focuses on management of polypharmacy in older adults, through deprescribing. She is a member of the Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network (CaDeN) and has contributed to guideline development and deprescribing research. She has many years of practice experience, including in team based primary care.
Dr. Raman-Wilms has served in various leadership roles including, President of the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) and on the boards of pharmacy and health related groups. She is editor of the consumer information reference, Guide to Drugs in Canada.
Reception - 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Pharmacy Excellence Awards Gala - 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Join us in celebrating the outstanding achievements of pharmacy professionals across the province, over a sit-down dinner.