Introducing the 2026 Innovation Fund recipients!

The Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) is pleased to announce it will provide funding for an exciting range of research projects and grassroots initiatives from its Innovation Fund this year.

From AI-assisted minor-ailment assessments to the prevention of cervical cancer, training for respiratory physical examinations and transforming pharmacies to primary care hubs, this year’s projects squarely help pharmacists advance their role as healthcare providers, practically and sustainably.

Donations from individuals and corporations enabled CFP’s Board of Directors to allocate a total of $150,000 in Innovation Fund grants this year in two categories: longer-term research projects and shorter “Move the Needle” initiatives.

“If you are not already a donor, I urge you to consider adding CFP to your list of your charities. More than ever, we need to do the research and jumpstart the innovations that will prove pharmacy’s worth,” says CFP Executive Director Linda Prytula.

Research projects

CFP awards grants for research projects of up to two years. The research must seek to advance the profession in ways that demonstrably improve the health of patients.

The last mile to HPV elimination: Pharmacy-based screening and immunization

This two-year study will examine the impact of pharmacist-led HPV assessments, including the distribution of self-screening kits and immunization services. The intent is to build a model that could be adopted by pharmacies across the country—and help the Canadian government achieve its goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

Researchers will work with participating pharmacies in Surrey, B.C., where screening rates are below the provincial average in several communities, including those with large South Asian populations. During regular visits, pharmacists will assess patients’ vaccination and screening status, provide education about HPV, offer self-screening kits for eligible individuals and administer HPV vaccines when appropriate. Pharmacies will also provide follow-up support to encourage kit returns and completion of the vaccine series.

By offering these services through community pharmacies, the project aims to overcome barriers such as limited access to primary care (including medical clinics’ limited hours of opening), language and cultural challenges, and transportation difficulties. The study will use a mixed-methods design, collecting quantitative data through pharmacy management systems and qualitative feedback from participating pharmacists and patients.

The project aligns with recommendations outlined in the HPV Global Action’s 2025 white paper, “Canada’s Strategy to Combat HPV-related Consequences and Eliminate Cervical Cancer,” which identifies pharmacists as key partners to boost vaccination rates beyond school-based programs, and distribute self-screening kits.

Her heart, our priority: Pharmacy as a hub for women’s cardiovascular health

The “Her Heart, Our Priority” research project will capture how community pharmacists can play a pivotal role to improve cardiovascular (CV) care for women living in rural Alberta, addressing long-standing gaps in screening, treatment and access to care.

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of premature death among Canadian women, who are consistently under-screened and undertreated for risk factors. Research has shown these disparities are due in part to systemic barriers, including limited access to primary care, geographic isolation, transportation challenges and caregiving responsibilities.

This study builds on more than 15 years of pharmacist-led CV care research by the EPICORE Centre, the health services research unit of the University of Alberta. That research includes the landmark RxEACH randomized controlled trial of 2015, funded by the Alberta government, which demonstrated that pharmacist interventions significantly reduced patients’ estimated risk of future cardiovascular events. However, RxEACH did not stratify outcomes by sex, gender, rurality, or socioeconomic status, nor did it explore which intervention components drove change, or how patient trust, communication, and relationships shaped outcomes.

Move the Needle initiatives

Move the Needle projects are shorter-duration initiatives of up to one year. They seek to “move the needle” in daily pharmacy practice by making meaningful progress or a tangible impact on urgently needed short-term goals.

Using AI to improve access and quality of care for minor-ailment assessments

When a patient presents with a minor ailment, a pharmacist must conduct a structured clinical assessment, rule out exclusion criteria and red flags, build patient rapport, and complete appropriate documentation. The quality and consistency of care depend on a pharmacist’s ability to manage multiple competing demands in real time in the pharmacy. These pressures may not only limit both patient access and consistency of care but also create real clinical risk.

The AI Scribe will capture the encounter and generate structured clinical documentation. The AI Drug Information Assistant will then perform a post-encounter analysis of the full transcript, identifying assessment gaps, missed exclusion criteria, and additional evidence-based care opportunities such as vaccinations or over-the-counter product recommendations. All outputs are reviewed and approved by the pharmacist. Clinical decision-making remains entirely under their authority.

Aiskyra will analyze six months of aggregate data to determine the consistency of minor-ailment assessments in practice, where gaps most commonly occur, and where pharmacists are excelling. Its analysis will also measure documentation time, clinical completeness, care opportunities identified per encounter, and patient-reported experience.

Aiskyra will submit its findings to a peer-reviewed Canadian pharmacy journal and offer to present them at national and provincial pharmacy conferences. “Regulatory bodies exploring documentation standards for expanded scope services may also find the compliance alignment data directly applicable to policy development,” stated Chan.

Preparing for Bill 67: Practical training for respiratory physical examination

The recent adoption of Bill 67 in Quebec significantly expands pharmacists’ prescribing authority for common ailments and chronic conditions. However, many pharmacists have limited formal training in key assessment skills, such as the gathering of a medical history, physical examination and clinical evaluation. These competencies are particularly important for respiratory conditions where physical findings directly inform diagnosis, triage and treatment decisions.

The project leads are Caren Jabamikos and Patrick Deschênes, clinical pharmacists at the McGill University Health Center and co-founders of RxContinue, an online platform for continuing education. Deschênes previously helped develop a physical examination training program for hospital pharmacists.

The Cycles and Seasons Métis Women’s Circle

Indigenous women and girls encounter significant barriers to accessing essential health information and care, especially in rural and northern areas. Health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menstrual abnormalities and infertility are often overlooked, leading to serious complications such as diabetes and mental health issues.

Additionally, many Indigenous women face challenges in accessing culturally safe care. And structural disruptions have hindered the transfer of health knowledge within communities.

The Cycles and Seasons Métis Women’s Circle program aims to tackle these issues by providing a culturally safe, community-based space in Métis Western Region 2 (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) for Métis women and girls to learn about women’s health and treatment options. The project will host eight women’s sharing circles, facilitated by a Métis pharmacist in collaboration with local elders and knowledge keepers.

Each session will blend traditional Métis teachings with modern healthcare information, allowing participants to ask questions, build relationships with health professionals, and share knowledge across generations. This non-judgmental environment will encourage discussions on sensitive topics often neglected in conventional settings. The circles will overcome geographical barriers, address power imbalances traditionally found in clinical environments, and foster mentorship and resilience in the community.

The project will incorporate existing resources from the Pharmacist Toolkit Supporting the Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health Care of Indigenous Patients, co-developed by the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (IPPC) and Canadian Pharmacists Association.

RxAccess: A bilingual community pharmacy walk-in clinic for minor ailments

Family physician shortages are especially severe in certain parts of Ottawa, where residents turn to overcrowded emergency departments for conditions such as uncomplicated urinary tract infections, skin rashes, allergies and pink eye—even though Ontario pharmacists can assess and prescribe for these and many other minor ailments.

After 10 months, aggregate data will be analysed based on conditions treated, family physician status, clinical outcomes and patient feedback. Musteata will also estimate cost savings resulting from reduced visits to emergency departments and physicians’ walk-in clinics, using claims data from Ontario’s Health Network System and published Canadian studies on care-seeking behaviour.

Finally, the project will produce the RxAccess Playbook containing workflow templates, bilingual materials, the outreach strategy, and a summary of outcomes available to all pharmacies. “The goal is not just a successful clinic in Orléans, but a proven framework any pharmacist in Canada can replicate,” wrote Musteata.

The Hay River blueprint: Transforming northern healthcare

Residents of Hay River and the South Slave region of the Northwest Territories (NWT) face a chronic shortage of primary care providers, leading to long wait times and over-use of the hospital’s emergency department for routine care. Ring’s Pharmacy will use its CFP grant to transition into a pharmacist-led primary care hub, the first of its kind in the NWT.

A long-time pharmacy advocate, Smith will also produce a data-driven report to demonstrate that a pharmacy primary care model is doable and sustainable. The report will include the volume of clinical interventions, patient-reported outcomes, and diversion metrics from hospital emergency departments and medical clinics. “By validating this model in a rural, northern context, we aim to advocate for sustainable public remuneration, further expansion of pharmacist scope, and establish a blueprint for other pharmacies across northern Canada to expand their clinical roles and improve local and regional health outcomes.”