Supporter Spotlight: Shoppers Drug Mart

Donations to the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy benefit all pharmacists in Canada. As Canada’s only national charity for pharmacy, CFP is dedicated to funding practice-based pharmacy research and innovative models of practice.

We could not do it without the unconditional contributions of our corporate supporters. As an ongoing Platinum Sponsor, Shoppers Drug Mart has been one of CFP’s biggest supporters for more than 15 years. We recently had a conversation with Deb Saltmarche, Senior Director Professional Affairs at Shoppers Drug Mart, and a Past-President of CFP.

Why is it important for Shoppers Drug Mart to support the Foundation?

CFP is closely aligned with our commitment to advance the profession of pharmacy and improve health outcomes for Canadians. Its focus on research, education, and innovation helps ensure that the profession evolves to meet patients’ changing needs. We value CFP’s leadership in strengthening pharmacy practice through evidence based initiatives and see our support as an investment in the future of patient care.

Which CFP initiatives would you like to highlight?

CFP funds projects that explore new models of care and their enablers, such as new technologies. We are particularly proud to support initiatives that translate research into real world impact, helping pharmacists practice to full scope in community and clinical settings.

CFP also recognizes the importance of the business side of pharmacy, which needs to be strong to support not only the financial sustainability of existing and new services, but also to support the health and wellness of pharmacy teams. CFP publishes the only textbook dedicated to the business of pharmacy in Canada, Pharmacy Management in Canada, and we’re proud to subsidize the cost for all pharmacy students.

In what other ways does Shoppers Drug Mart help advance pharmacy practice in Canada?

Our Pharmacy Care Clinics in nine provinces change the work environment for pharmacists, who love working in this practice model.

Research supports the advocacy needed to scale pharmacist-led care. Shoppers Drug Mart has funded more than 60 research projects so far in partnership with academic institutions across Canada. For example, the University of Alberta’s Dr. Kaitlyn Watson and her research team developed and validated the POWER Engagement Framework to assess professional and organizational factors that play a role in pharmacist engagement in a pharmacist-led primary care practice. Engagement tools already exist for physicians and nurses, but this is the first for pharmacists. This work is important because it provides evidence that primary care environments can be structured to support high pharmacist engagement, strengthening the case for pharmacists as health-system extenders who can improve access to care while supporting workforce sustainability.

In addition to the University of Alberta, we’re collaborating on research projects with the pharmacy programs at Dalhousie University, the Université de Montréal, the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of British Columbia. We’re also partnering on research initiatives that are relevant to pharmacy practice with the University of New Brunswick, the University of Windsor, and the University of Calgary, among others.

We are also committed to supporting the education and training of future pharmacists. Shoppers Drug Mart funds more than 100 scholarships and bursaries at pharmacy schools across Canada. To support innovation in experiential learning, we have invested in pharmacy practice laboratories at the Université de Montréal and the University of Ottawa, as well as the University of Toronto’s Discovery Pharmacy. And Shoppers Drug Mart is proud to be one of the largest providers of placement sites for pharmacy students in Canada, offering hands on experiential learning in our pharmacy locations across the country.