Upon graduating with a Bachelor in Science in Pharmacy from the University of Alberta in 1972, Harold Lopatka launched a diverse and fulfilling career in pharmacy and health care management. He retired as AFPC Executive Director in 2017.

His career included pharmacist positions in hospital and community pharmacy; pharmacy researcher and educator roles; senior management/executive positions in hospital, association and university settings; and as a pharmacy and healthcare management consultant. 

While there were many achievements in his career, the following are a few notable leadership activities he carried out in pharmacy settings.

Early in his career he was a pioneer hospital clinical pharmacist conducting drug utilization workat the Foothills Hospital. In mid-career Lopatka was the first Director of Pharmacy Economics in Alberta where he nurtured relationships with public and private payers and developed pharmacy alternative reimbursement models. 

Upon completing his PhD he served as Program Director for the Alberta Drug Utilization Program, providing leadership and management for a provincial database drug utilization review initiative; a provincial trial prescription program; and a pharmacist lead provincial academic detailing initiative. As an adjunct faculty member at the University of Alberta, he provided guidance for creating a student-alumni pharmacist mentorship program. 

While Executive Director at the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC), Lopatka provided leadership in the planning and implementing an online e-resource for pharmacy students and pharmacists about the use of information and information technology in health care.