Supporting diversity while building the next generation of pharmacists in Canada

Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice graduates 2024

With a generous donation to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, McKesson Canada and the University of Alberta are teaming up to enhance the faculty’s bridging program for internationally educated pharmacy graduates (IEPG) — Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice (CCPP). Together, they aim to address the current shortage of pharmacists while ensuring that the evolving needs of Canada’s culturally diverse population are met with empathy, understanding and expertise.

As Canada’s largest pharmaceutical distributor and independent pharmacy network, encompassing some of the most recognized retail brands in the industry such as Guardian, I.D.A., Remedy'sRx and The Medicine Shoppe, along with Proxim and Uniprix in Quebec, McKesson Canada shares a common aim with the U of A: to support diversity, equity and inclusion while building the next generation of pharmacists in Canada.

“As an impact-driven organization, our purpose is to advance health outcomes for all. This guides our efforts to enhance health equity through our relationships with our employees, our partners, our community and our planet,” explains Andrea Chalmers-Ozimec, director of Sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) at McKesson Canada.

Smita Patil, McKesson Canada’s vice president of Member Relations and Professional Affairs and an IEPG herself, adds, “We specifically aim to address health inequalities in Canada by enhancing cultural responsiveness and encouraging greater representation and diversity in pharmacy — both now and in the future. When health-care providers and delivery teams reflect the populations they serve, patients benefit, ultimately improving health outcomes.”

Providing Canadian context for internationally educated pharmacists to help meet demand

Alberta pharmacists have the broadest scope of practice in Canada, including clinical symptom assessment, the opportunity to attain prescribing authority to prescribe medications for treating or preventing conditions and developing care plans to manage chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma. Pharmacists are also the main providers of immunizations and a source of quality health-care information for Albertans.

“Many pharmacists find the profession extremely rewarding and fulfilling in Alberta given the potential to have such an important impact on the health of Albertans,” says Tara Leslie, director of the certificate program.

Leslie says that the expanded role has helped lessen the burden on other parts of the health-care system but has increased demand for pharmacists in the province, leading the U of A to look for ways to meet that demand through the CCPP bridging program.

The program aims to help fill the need for more pharmacists while building a more diverse supply of health-care professionals by helping IEPGs — all licensed pharmacists in other countries before moving to Canada — build on their existing knowledge, skills and cultural competencies, then apply them in a Canadian context.

Established in 2021, the certificate program has produced 123 graduates to date, representing 22 different countries of origin. The 10-month-long program consists of both in-person and online components and expects to graduate another 180 learners over the next five years.

“Our goal is to provide practical and useful education to prepare them to be competent and confident practitioners in Alberta or elsewhere in Canada,” says Leslie, adding that participants in the program find it a very positive experience.

“In the beginning, the learners might be a little reluctant because they may view the program as being just something that needs to get done on their licenseship journey,” adds Leslie. “But pharmacy practice can be very different in other countries, and with Alberta having such an expanded scope of practice, it can be really different than what they've experienced in the past.”

“But once they’re in our program they realize how much they've learned and how valuable it is for them to be on a pathway for success in serving the health-care needs of people in this province.”

How McKesson Canada’s gift will help

The gift from McKesson Canada will help make the certificate program more accessible and flexible, supporting the development of self-paced interactive, skills-based learning modules for the online segments of the program. Simulation exercises will be further tailored to various cultural and clinical contexts, ensuring applicability across diverse practice environments.

“We realize that many IEPGs are juggling multiple responsibilities with work and family that make it difficult to take on the whole program at a pre-set schedule,” says Leslie. “Others may be interested in completing the program at an accelerated pace. Modularization would allow IEPGs a more customized learning experience.”

Leslie says this gift is greatly appreciated by the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “We feel the CCPP program is highly valuable for IEPG learners in supporting their role in health care and their preparedness for the expectations and needs of patients. We are grateful that McKesson Canada has chosen CCPP as something they too find extremely valuable and worthy of support.” 

“As a purpose-driven organization, we strive to bring more qualified talent into the pharmacy sector, particularly those with cultural knowledge, to support the industry and ensure businesses remain healthy,” says Patil. “It’s important to break down barriers to help underrepresented individuals, including newcomers to Canada, succeed in the field of pharmacy.”

Over the next five years, thanks to the McKesson Canada partnership with U of A, these enhancements to the CCPP program will positively impact over 180 learners and cultivate a diverse pool of talented individuals ready to deliver superior care to their communities.