Q&A with Marie-Pascale: Important times for pharmacy and CFP

Like a pebble dropped in a pond, Marie-Pascale Beaulieu’s career in community pharmacy steadily ripples outward as she strives to do more for pharmacists in her home province of Quebec and across Canada. In 2023, she became the Director of Professional Affairs at the Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires (AQPP), the trade association representing all pharmacy owners in Quebec. In June 2025, she broadened her reach by joining the Board of Directors for the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.

Tell us more about your career path.

I graduated in 2008 and worked as a staff pharmacist before owning a community pharmacy from 2010 to 2018. Changes to scope of practice were starting to happen and I wanted to be a bigger part of that. I served on AQPP’s Board for four years, which opened my eyes to how the government works and the importance of advocacy to influence patient care. I completed my Master of Business Administration in 2020 and worked in professional services and government relations for McKesson Canada for a couple of years before joining AQPP’s staff in 2023.

Why is CFP an important step in your journey?

CFP is a unique national resource for pharmacists. Its mission to support research, innovation and leadership helps strengthen the advocacy work of AQPP and all provincial and national pharmacy associations. I like its new strategic plan to more proactively seek out projects that can move the needle in daily practice. Little steps can make a big difference.

What perspectives are you bringing from Quebec?

We are fortunate in several ways in Quebec. AQPP represents all pharmacy owners, which is a significant strength in fostering alignment across the profession and supporting constructive dialogue with government. It enables AQPP to have an immediate channel of communications to all pharmacy owners and their teams.

In Quebec, many clinical activities have been added to pharmacists’ agreements with government in recent years, alongside traditional drug distribution activities. The coming implementation of Bill 67 represents a significant step because it shifts the scope of practice toward a competence-based approach rather than one limited by predefined lists or restrictions. This evolution will require substantial efforts from pharmacists, and its successful implementation will depend on constructive and conclusive negotiations to support adoption in practice. If achieved, it would mark a major milestone, allowing pharmacists to fully leverage their competencies rather than being restricted to condition-based lists, as is still the case in many jurisdictions. The Quebec model is particularly interesting in how it combines professional alignment, structured funding approaches and evolving scope of practice—elements that may offer useful insights for other jurisdictions.

What are some of your biggest learnings so far?

Change can be fast and slow at the same time. While there is momentum for evolving the role of pharmacists, continued efforts are needed to clearly articulate our full scope and the value community pharmacists bring to patient care. We know we must continue to advance advocacy, research and the demonstration of pharmacists’ value. CFP is an important part of that. What’s most exciting is that, regardless of the change or the challenge, we can consistently frame it as an opportunity to demonstrate how pharmacists can play a central role in improving patients’ access to care.