Recent Board Member Sherry Peister explains why the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy is so important to community practice-based research, and what it needs to be sustainable in the future.
I have been a supporter of CFP for many years, but officially joined the Board on March 8, 2023. This is the only organization that funds practice-based community research projects that would otherwise go unfunded. Plus, the events are unpartisan with topics other [organizations] may shy away from.
As a Past President of both the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) and the Canadian Pharmacists Association—and more recently Past Chair of the not-for-profit Green Shield Canada—I bring experience in governance, pharmacy practice and business. I have my ICD.D designation and have also sat on the boards of district health councils, a hospital board and have chaired a Foundation board. This makes the awarding of grants of particular interest to me.
I think the Foundation needs more structure. We just updated the bylaws and will be updating and implementing new terms of reference for committees. We will also strengthen the criteria for awarding grants. Under the leadership of current Chair Justin Bates and past Chair Deb Saltmarche, we will be looking at how to make CFP financially stable into the future. This is a big undertaking with an organization that has minimal staff.
We fund community pharmacy projects and the events we hold help fund the grants we award. If every pharmacist donated to our “1 Million for$25 Campaign” annually, our impact for supporting innovation in community pharmacy would be much greater. This would also allow a better branding for CFP as more people become aware of the granting opportunities. Currently all board members volunteer their time to the Foundation.
The scope of practice has changed and continues to change to enhance the care pharmacists provide to their patients. The pandemic has shown how pharmacists ‘stepped up to the plate’ as an integral part of the healthcare team. I think there is a better respect from government and the public as to how accessible pharmacists are in providing care for patients. The OPA is also conducting town hall meetings to understand the burnout that pharmacists are facing, and the stresses of the demands placed on them. I think there are great opportunities for pharmacists to deliver better care for patients in a manner that gives them personal satisfaction.
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