Rita Winn has been a tireless advocate for community pharmacy for more than 30 years.

She worked for 22 years at Lovell Drugs, where she served as General Manager and Chief Operation Officer until her recent retirement. While at Lovell Drugs, Winn was always piloting new technologies, products and programs to advance the profession. As a result, the pharmacy was an early adopter of the pilot phase of PrescribeIT and represented the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (NPAC) on the PrescribeIT User Working Group. Winn continues to work part time for Rx Drug Mart as a Director on the Lovell Drugs Board providing guidance and support.

She has served on numerous industry organizations, including the Canadian Pharmacists Association and Ontario Pharmacists Association. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the Board for the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, where she chairs the Governance and Nominating Committee. Winn is a popular conference speaker, where she has presented on topics such as pharmacy business, workflow and human resources. She also speaks regularly to community groups, including senior centres and other allied health professionals.

Her pharmacy advocacy is also evident through her participation in critical moments for the profession. During the Bill 102 negotiations, for example, Rita worked behind the scenes to create educational videos for pharmacists, while also collaborating with associations and other stakeholders on discussions with the Ministry of Health around the reporting framework and creation of professional allowances. Then, as the co-chair of the Pharmacy Coalition in Ontario, she worked to educate pharmacists about the new funding realities and engaged them in a campaign to make the public aware of changes due to the funding cuts.

Winn is also one of the editors of CFP’s Pharmacy Management in Canada textbook. She used her extensive experience in retail and pharmacy business to find expert writers, while authoring several chapters herself.