The 2019 Pillar of Pharmacy: Sherry Peister

JULY 2019 – Sherry Peister, volunteer extraordinaire, Chair of Green Shield Canada and former pharmacy owner, is this year’s recipient of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy’s celebrated Pillar of Pharmacy Award. 

“Sherry is truly a very deserving winner of the Pillar of Pharmacy Award,” says Bill Wilson, President of CFP.“Her involvement and leadership at all levels of the profession are a testimony to her commitment and passion to advance the role of the pharmacist as an essential healthcare provider.”

Peister’s impact on the profession of pharmacy in Canada began soon after graduating from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, in 1982. She has put in countless volunteer hours serving on committees and boards for pharmacy associations at the local, provincial and national levels. She has served as President of both the Ontario Pharmacists Association (1994-1995) and Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) (2013-2014). While President of CPhA, she was instrumental in building the relationships required to help the association successfully transition to a new membership and governance model.  

She has been a board member for Green Shield Canada (GSC) since 1997 and became the first female Chair in 2010. She has played an integral role with the company, serving on the Finance Committee, Pharmacy and Patient Issues Committee, Allocations Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Search Committee for CEO, Nominations and Governance Committee. Prior to becoming Chair of GSC, Peister also worked as a pharmacist, pharmacy owner and consultant. 

While the Pillar of Pharmacy recognition is Peister’s latest award, it is far from her only accolade. She is a two-time winner of the Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award, in 2016 and 2017, and most recently she received the CPhA Meritorious Service Award in 2019.

Peister has also been recognized for her work in the community. For example, she worked with Hamilton Community Foundation to develop a new corporate model of philanthropy that focuses on building capacity across the country through community foundations. 

CFP will honour Sherry Peister at its Pillar of Pharmacy Award reception and dinner on November 4. CFP established the Pillar of Pharmacy Award in 1997 to celebrate the achievements of pharmacists who have demonstrated their dedication to advancing the profession of pharmacy.