Each year, the BC Pharmacy Association recognizes some of the hardest-working, most deserving pharmacists serving our communities in British Columbia.
This year, in spite of COVID-19, we have selected eight deserving recipients of awards.
Please take the time to read and learn about each winner below.
Bowl Of Hygeia Award: Brittany Swanson
Brittany Swanson was first introduced to pharmacy as a high school student at North Island Secondary School. She was given the opportunity to shadow a family friend who worked as a pharmacist at Harbourside Pharmacy.
Overall, Swanson’s commitment to her community is all about being present.
“I’m really just kind of thinking about what I would need if I was on the other side of the counter,” she says. “Sometimes people are just going through a challenging time and they just need someone to listen to them or to make their life just a little easier. It’s those little things that make a difference.”
Read more about Brittany here.
Collaborative Care Award: Cameron Bonell
A naturally inquisitive person, Cameron Bonell has spent his career seeking out ways to expand the scope of his pharmacy practice.
In addition to serving patients at Lakeside Medicine Centre Pharmacy, Bonell was a founding member of the Board of directors for the Central Okanagan Association for Cardiac Health (COACH), a non-profit society that provides education, support, and guidance on the prevention and management of heart disease.
For more than 20 years, Bonell has served as a patient educator, both in a classroom setting as well as one-on-one patient interactions.
Read more about Cameron here.
Excellence in Patient Care Award: Clancy O’Malley
For Pharmasave owner/pharmacist Clancy O’Malley, his pharmacy is about more than prescriptions and medical advice. It’s a safe haven for members of Kamloops’ marginalized and vulnerable community to rest, enjoy a cup of hot coffee, and be shown warmth and respect.
For many of his patients, O’Malley has provided so much more than medication; he has provided hope for their future.
Read more about Clancy here.
Murray Dykeman Mentorship Award: Joanne Hui
Chances are, if you are a newly practicing pharmacist who was trained in B.C., you have been mentored by Safeway pharmacy manager Joanne Hui.
For Hui, working with pharmacy students—whom she also mentors in-pharmacy as practicum students—and new pharmacists is an extremely rewarding experience, not just as a witness to their growth but for her own professional growth as well.
Read more about Joanne here.
Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Ron Gracan
When he began his pharmacy career in 1982, big box pharmacies were becoming commonplace, but Ron Gracan’s first on-the-job experience in Prince Rupert solidified his desire to pursue an independent pharmacy practice.
Since then, he has spent his career championing independent pharmacies, including serving as president of the BC Pharmacy Association and general manager of UniPharm Wholesale Drugs Ltd.
Read more about Ron here.
Pharmacy Leadership Award: Stephanie Hahn
A self-described competitive person, Stephanie Hahn is constantly striving to motivate her team to excel, whether it be introducing special programs, earning new certifications, or expanding clinical services.
As a trusted and caring leader, Hahn encourages her employees to step outside of their comfort zones, through new educational opportunities and by getting involved in their local communities to meet patients, leaders and health-care professionals.
Read more about Stephanie here.
Apotex Inc. Future British Columbia Pharmacy Leader of Tomorrow: John Lee
Recognized by his classmates as a natural born leader, third year pharmacy student John Lee has been a source of inspiration in the University of British Columbia’s PharmD program.
Lee’s love for pharmacy grew in his second year of undergraduate studies through an introductory course in pharmacology. Since entering the PharmD program in 2018, Lee has become an integral member of the program, serving as first year representative, marketing director, and most recently, vice president internal with the UBC Pharmacy Undergraduate Society.
Read more about John here.
Apotex Inc. Future British Columbia Pharmacy Leader of Tomorrow: Sean Cardwell
One area that Sean Cardwell has striven to be his best is in serving his pharmacy community. After joining UBC’s PharmD program, he ran for student government for the first time.
Cardwell was elected as second year representative with the Pharmacy Undergraduate Society and later as president of the Delta Gamma chapter of the Rho Chi Society, an international society that promotes academic excellence in pharmacy.
Read more about Sean here.