Pharmacist Denise Kreutzwiser credits her own pharmacy residency training for giving her the opportunity to practise at a higher critical thinking and problem-solving level. It’s not surprising then that she is eager to help other pharmacists do the saem by creating a one-year ambulatory pharmacy residency program that focuses on chronic pain management and highlights the connection to mental health and rehabilitation strategies at her current workplace at St. Joseph’s Health Care London.

“We believe that by training pharmacists to take on leading roles in the ambulatory care setting, and in particular pain and mental health focused areas, we will be better positioned to care for the baby boomer population in the coming years and, hopefully, help keep patients out of hospital and better able to live a full life in the comfort of their homes for longer,” says Kreutzwiser.  

To better equip her in creating an impactful and sustainable program, she will be using her Wellspring Award to fund two certificate courses through Maastricht University in the Netherlands, as well as to visit a couple of residency programs in the United States. She will also attend the American Society of Health Systems’ Pharmacists National Pharmacy Preceptors Conference in fall 2023, the only North American conference focused on education and training for pharmacy residency preceptors and residency directors.

“While this award will take my professional growth to the next level by enhancing my current skillset and knowledge base, the most important aspect is that the learnings facilitated by this award will multiply as they are passed on to my healthcare colleagues and the trainees who undertake this pharmacy residency program,” says Kreutzwiser.