Meet the 2026 Innovation in Vaccine Services Award recipients

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is pleased to honour two vaccination trailblazers with this year’s Innovation in Vaccine Services Award, recognizing initiatives that are helping protect Canadians from vaccine-preventable diseases.

The 2026 winners are CareRx in the chain/banner category and Sarah Zorzit, clinical pharmacist with the Algoma District Cancer Program, in the individual pharmacist/pharmacy team category.

Chain/banner winner: CareRx

Innovation in Vaccine Services Award winners from Care Rx. (L-R) CFP’s Linda Prytula with Care Rx CEO Puneet Khanna, Stephana Hung and Parnia Ghafari, along with award sponsor GSK’s Ramon Goober - Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy — Innovation in Vaccine Services Award winners from Care Rx. (L-R) CFP’s Linda Prytula with Care Rx CEO Puneet Khanna, Stephana Hung and Parnia Ghafari, along with award sponsor GSK’s Ramon Goober

As a specialty pharmacy provider serving seniors in long-term care and retirement residences, CareRx has developed flexible vaccination programs tailored to the needs of individual communities.

Its approach combines direct immunization services, screening, outreach and partnerships with local pharmacies to improve access to vaccines for influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pneumococcal disease and shingles.

The delivery of these services in long-term care homes and retirement residences requires coordination with care partners, education for residents and families, and careful management of vaccine storage and transportation

“Winning this award recognizes the clinical, operations and administrative team members who have championed every part of this service, from screening and safe transport to efficient clinic delivery and safe needle management,” says Travis Featherstone, Chief Clinical Officer at CareRx.

Individual winner: Sarah Zorzit

Innovation in Vaccine Services Award winner Sarah Zorzit (centre) with Linda Prytula and Ramon Goober. - Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy — Innovation in Vaccine Services Award winner Sarah Zorzit (centre) with Linda Prytula and Ramon Goober.

At the Algoma District Cancer Program, Sarh Zorzit has helped bring vaccination directly into cancer care through the PIVOT Clinic, addressing barriers that can prevent patients from receiving recommended immunizations before starting treatment.

Through electronic referrals from oncologists, pharmacists working under a medical directive can prescribe and administer up to eight adult vaccines. Access to patients’ electronic medical records helps the pharmacy team assess vaccination needs in relation to cancer treatment and the anticipated level of immunosuppression.

Pharmacists are also finding that many cancer patients would have missed recommended vaccinations without PIVOT. On average, they recommend about four vaccine series per patient, and patients receive three vaccinations per appointment.

“At the start of cancer treatment, many are overwhelmed by appointments and tests so immunizations are rarely top of mind,” says Zorzit.

The PIVOT team has begun sharing lessons from its approach with other cancer centres across Ontario and Canada, with the goal of encouraging routine vaccine screening and education as part of cancer care.

Look for more details on these winning initiatives in CFP’s upcoming Changing Face of Pharmacy report, available in November.