Community pharmacists step up

June 2015—More community pharmacists are applying for grants from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy’s (CFP’s) Innovation Fund, which is good news during this time of transition for the profession. “I’m really happy with how many more community practitioners are applying,” says Zubin Austin, chair of CFP’s awards committee and Professor and Murray Koffler Chair in Management at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. “It’s not just academics applying any more, which is good because we need more practitioner-led initiatives. They bring a different perspective. And if they lack research experience, CFP is uniquely positioned to match them up with experienced researchers.”

Most recently, CFP awarded $15,000 to John Papastergiou, associate-owner of two Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies in Toronto. Papastergiou and a research team will conduct a pilot project for home-based medication reviews for non-homebound patients. The objective is to make the case to expand eligibility criteria for publicly funded home-based reviews.

“There is not a lot of funding support out there for these types of projects, and CFP is committed to closing that gap. Its grants program is a great opportunity for pharmacists who are ready to make a difference, and who can be role models,” says Austin.

CFP, a registered charity, relies on individual and corporate donations to fund its grants and awards in support of pharmacy innovation. As more community pharmacists apply for funding, the hope is that more individual pharmacists will include CFP in their charitable giving, says Zubin, who’s been on the Board for four years. “CFP is a great organization that connects a lot of different parts of the profession, and we’re all pulling in the same direction for pharmacy. It’s a way to give back to the profession.”