As an outreach pharmacist at the Calgary Drop-In Centre—one of North America’s largest shelters—Nicola Gale knows first-hand that clients living with homelessness can face a myriad of complex health issues, including concurrent addiction, mental health and increased risk of acquiring Chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections.
Working with the CUPS Liver clinic in Calgary, she is helping to develop a model of collaborative care to increase access to testing and treatment for people living with homelessness during these pandemic times.
Her Wellspring Award will support her attendance at the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) Conference in Glasgow in October 2022, which Gale expects will be an invaluable opportunity to learn from other care providers and programs around the globe who are leading the world toward HCV elimination. “This award will also support me in developing a post-conference community of practice to bring together inner-city service and care providers to disseminate learnings from the conference, support interprofessional collaboration and dialogue, and ultimately to support better care linkages between the health and social care systems.”
Gale says pharmacists are uniquely positioned to be key players in reaching global HCV elimination. “I hope to highlight the scope of practice, clinical skills, and the community- and relationship-based care at the heart of pharmacy practice that is essential in reaching structurally vulnerable populations affected by chronic HCV,” she says.
As a registered charity, the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is uniquely positioned to fund practical research and innovative practice models at the grassroots level, as well as recognize the leaders of today and tomorrow. Our vision is to be a catalyst for change in the profession of pharmacy by seeking out, nurturing and inspiring innovation. Your donations are a way to give back to a profession that has much to look forward to. Thank you for your support.