Everybody’s favorite pharmacy meme contest is back! Submit your best memes for a chance to be crowned a legend in the pharmacy meme game and gift card prizes!
As many submissions as possible will be published in the next issue and voted on. The winner will receive a $20 Tim Horton’s gift card, and all participants will enter a draw for to win 1 of 3 $5 gift cards. Each submission is worth one draw, up to a maximum of 5 entries (but you can send in more!).
Contest runs until Friday March 21st at 11:59pm. Please submit using the google form (QR code below).
Breakfast Club
By: Nathaniel Fernetti
Breakfast Club is a regularly scheduled event that aims to address food insecurity by providing free breakfast to students in the program. These breakfasts typically include beverages such as coffee, tea, and juice; fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas; granola bars; baked goods; and more.
Starting as an idea from members of the 2023-24 APSA council, Breakfast Club was held for the first time on October 4, 2024 and has been held on emi-regular schedule since then. the support of Campus Food k, Student Services, Aileen Jang, generous sponsors (COBS Bread, ll, JAMP, Kohl and Frisch, PMS, Apotex) and our incredibly cated APSA council volunteers, kfast Club has had an exciting and essful inaugural year! We expect nitiative to continue to grow with positive response that we’ve seen m students and sponsors alike.
P D W 2 0 2 5
W A V E S O F C H A N G E
H A L I F A X
BY: REMI HOU
W H A T I S P D W ?
Professional Development Week (PDW) is an annual event organized by the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI). Student delegates from the eleven pharmacy schools in Canada meet at one of the schools for a four-day conference. Here, students can network with their peers across Canada, apply their practical skills in competitions, expand their knowledge on various health topics and get recognized for their achievements. This year, PDW invited a few international pharmacy students from Australia and the United States.
Without further ado, let’s jump into what happened at this year’s PDW hosted by Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia! All aboard!!
D A Y 1
PDW 2025 was kicked off by the Opening Gala. Along with the incredible food, numerous awards were distributed to students and schools. This year, the University of Alberta placed in the top 3 for almost every award! The UofA placed second in the CPhA - CAPSI Award of Professionalism. Joseph Lam (Class of 2026) got first place in the CPJ Student Literacy Challenge. We placed third in the Apotex-IPSF H lth C i
A d I b ll B (Cl f 2027) was the first place winne the Pharmachoice Canad Presentation Competitio with her presentation titl “Practical Tips for Patient Families for Medication Safety at Home.” Lastly, th UofA was first place in th CAPSI Collecting Kilomet Award. Congratulations t all the winners; we are so proud of you!
D A Y 2
The second and third days of PDW were composed of seminars led by various experts in the field of pharmacy as well as time for students to explore the city. Some of the topics included were:
Travel pharmacy
Cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia
The benefits and uses of lithium
Gender-affirming care
Natural health products
And many more!!!!
C N T P
Day 2 of PDW finished off with a bang with Canada’s Next Top Pharmacist (CNTP)! A contestant from each school is sent to take part in four different challenges. Firstly, there is the white coat walk, as contestants showcase their creativity and dance moves as they strut across the stage. This was followed by an Emoji-Rx challenge, where contestants were to guess the medication, either brand name or generic, using only emojis meant to represent them. For a taste of what the contestants went though, check out Drugs by Emoji in the December 2024 edition of PQ+2! Next, there was a speed medication counting challenge. Contestants raced to count a given number of capsules, the fastest being crowned the winner. Last, but certainly not least, there was a talent show.
This year, the UofA sen winners, PharmDDR (A Minji Kang, Kevin Ta a compete. After a tight with many highs and lo took home third place University of Montreal University. Congratulat PharmDDR!! You are al our hearts.
D A Y 3
Day 3 of PDW was also full of seminars with various health topics. However, the real highlight was the chance to explore Halifax, so here are some photos of our favourites!
D A Y 4
The last day of PDW. Along with some keynote speakers, we also had our annual Pharmafacts! This is a pharmacy trivia competition where each pharmacy school sends four students to represent. This year, the UofA sent Ally Thompson (Class of 2028), Rebecca Johnston (Class of 2027), Chris Gilham (Class of 2026) and Vincent Chiang (Class of 2026). After some intense competition and a tie breaker leaving us at the edge of our seats, the UofA took second place. U of A! U of A! U of A!
F I N A L E
PDW ended with the Closing Gala and more awards. Congratulations to Vincent Chiang (Class of 2026) for receiving Thank you to CAPSI for organizing this annual pharmacy tradition and for everyone who attended the event. PDW 2026 will be hosted by the University of Laval in Quebec City.
Thank you to Neighborly Pharmacy for sponsoring Team Alberta’s shirts!
WhiteCoat CLASS OF 2028
Reflections from the APSA Presidency: A Year of Advocacy
and Growth
Gauhar Ali
APSA President (2024-2025)
What has been your greatest success as president?
Throughout my term, my primary focus has been advocacy—ensuring pharmacy students have the resources and support they need to thrive both academically and personally. One of the most impactful initiatives was allocation of funding supports for rural experiential education placements. Many students face financial and logistical barriers when completing rotations outside urban centers, and advocating for equitable access to these opportunities was a key priority.
Additionally, supporting the establishment of APSA’s first-ever Breakfast Club was a defining moment. Food insecurity is a growing concern among students, and ensuring that a nutritious meal was accessible helped alleviate a small yet significant burden for many. Mental health advocacy was another cornerstone of my presidency. Supporting the transition of a dedicated psychologist into our faculty was a major step toward ensuring students had accessible mental health support, and I worked closely with student groups to facilitate that process.
Finally, serving as a student board member for RxA provided an incredible opportunity to represent pharmacy students at a pivotal time. With ongoing government cuts and negotiations impacting pharmacy services, I worked to ensure the student voice was heard in discussions about the future of our profession.
What area of pharmacy school (or student life) do you think there is still room to improve?
One area that requires continuous attention is ensuring that all students—regardless of background, financial status, or geographic location—feel supported in their educational journey. Rural placements remain a challenge, and while progress has been made in securing some financial supports, more work is needed to expand access and ensure preceptors are adequately supported as well. Additionally, while the introduction of a dedicated psychologist was a significant step forward, long-term sustainability and accessibility of mental health services need to be prioritized. We need to ensure that mental health resources evolve alongside student needs and that there are clear, low-barrier pathways for students to access help when they need it.
Finally, fostering a stronger sense of mentorship and inter-cohort collaboration is -->
crucial. Pharmacy school can often feel segmented by year, but finding ways to build stronger connections between students at different stages of the program would help create a more supportive, unified learning environment.
What one piece of advice would you like to leave pharmacy students?
Use your voice Whether it’s in the classroom, in APSA, or advocating for the profession—your perspective matters Pharmacy in Alberta is in the midst of enormous change, and the decisions being made today will shape our future practice If something isn’t working, speak up If you have an idea to improve the student experience, pursue it. The more engaged we are as students, the more prepared we will be as future pharmacists I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served as APSA President, and excited to see how Nathaniel and future APSA leaders continue to build on this momentum Our profession thrives when we support one another, advocate for what’s right, and push for meaningful change
Thank you for an unforgettable year
Gauhar Ali, APSA President (2024-2025)
APSA President-Elect
Nathaniel Fernetti
Why did you want to be the next APSA president elect?
When it came time for APSA elections last year, as you all likely know, I had my sight set on VP Student Services – I really liked the idea of being able to support my fellow students through fun events and giveaways and be someone that people could come to for help. This year, I knew I still wanted to be part of APSA and give back to my fellow students in a way that was similar to how I already have been. This led me to run for APSA President-Elect. With this role, I’ll be able to help with even more events by supporting all future council members that plan them and I’ll still be someone that people can come to for help, but now I’ll have more avenues to provide assistance and ensure that your needs and concerns are heard. Overall, I felt like this was the most logical step for me to take.
What area of pharmacy school/student life will be your focus?
The main focus of my platform was wanting to increase engagement within and between cohorts to build better connections and create lasting memories through events that you all want to see happen While I think that it would be safe to say that this focuses on the social aspect of school/student life, the main motivator for me is the benefit that this can have on people’s mental wellbeing As students, we all understand the immense stress of school on top of everything else we have going on in our lives My hope is that, by encouraging and supporting these connections and social events, I can improve your experience in the program through reminding you to take a break, strengthening your support network, or something as simple as getting you to smile a few more times than you would have otherwise
What are you most looking forward to in your upcoming term?
I’m most looking forward to continuing to get to know my fellow students - I really enjoy getting to interact with everyone because this not only helps me do my job as your representative, but also gives me the chance to socialize and direct my attention somewhere other than my school work, helping me avoid burnout. Over the last year, I’ve got the chance to work with some amazing individuals and I hope to continue to work with many of them this upcoming year alongside the new members of the team. I look forward to having these conversations and forging new connections so that I can best support pharmacy students in issues that matter to us all..
Community and Hospital
Written by: Omnia Rajab, Marissa Mikhail
Have you always wanted to find out what the differences are between hospital and community pharmacy? Follow our writers as they interview two prominent pharmacists in Alberta, who showcase what it means to be a pharmacist in their respective fields.
AUTHORS NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN SHORTENED DOWN FOR CLARITY, AND EXACT WORDS FROM THE INTERVIEWEES MAY HAVE BEEN EDITED TO ENHANCE FLOW. WE HAVE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THE CONTENT AND PERSONALITY OF OUR PHARMACISTS SHINE THROUGH, AND STRIVE TO PROMOTE JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY IN THIS MATTER.
Lynn Gilmour Community Pharmacy
First up, we have Lynn Gilmour, a community pharmacist and associate owner of two Shoppers Drug Mart stores in North Edmonton. Graduating in 1984 from Dalhousie University, Lynn has travelled across the country honing her skills in various pharmacy environments before finally settling down in Edmonton 20 years ago.
SO YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU GRADUATED IN 1984. DID YOU SPEND ANY TIME PRACTICING IN NOVA SCOTIA?
Yes, I practiced in Nova Scotia for the first quite a bit of my career. Dalhousie at the time actually served four provinces, so I spent the first few years jumping around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN MANAGEMENT?
Almost all of my career with a few holes here and there. I did a lot of management for Lawton's. I worked for Shoppers as a just a regular staff pharmacist when I was in rural Newfoundland, which was an interesting experience. And then about 17 years ago I switched over to being an associate at Shoppers Drug Mart.
WHAT WAS WORKING IN RURAL NEWFOUNDLAND LIKE?
It was back in the days before we had pharmacists prescribing, but there was a lot more pharmacist prerogative. It was a very interesting circumstance because you were in very, very close collaboration with the doctor to try to cover the needs of the community. So you ended up adventuring into things that would never much like our practice would be now, before such a practice officially existed.
WE'RE KIND OF AT A CROSSROADS BETWEEN DOING RETAIL PHARMACY WHERE WE'RE JUST PRESCRIBING AND SENDING OFF, VERSUS THE CLINICAL SIDE. WHAT KIND OF SHIFT ARE YOU WANTING FOR?
I think you can never give up your basic roots. Doing the counseling and dispensing it's always going to be part of our job and you never want to give away your roots. Do I see the future in pharmacies switching more into that more upper level clinical role? Of course. But it'll never totally erase that experience that people have coming in and getting their refills with the pharmacist because that's often what opens the doors to those conversations that allow you to do the more clinical side of things. It's by having the everyday contact that we are so accessible and so easy to get to. That lets you develop those relationships. And if you start totally separating that, you're going to lose that comfort and reliance that a lot of people have because they've developed the relationships with their patients.
SO WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR NEW GRADUATES COMING OUT OF THE PROGRAM NOW?
Take advantage and really use the scope of practice we have. Use it and enjoy it. Find areas that you feel passionate about. Do the extra education if needed to, you know, pick up your certifications, expand, expand what your scope is because it's always our responsibility It's an exciting time to be a pharmacist in Alberta, despite some of the ups and downs that we're having right now. But enjoy it.
Advocate for your profession and take the time to help other students along the way.
CSHP PHARMACIST INTERVIEW
BACKGROUND ABOUT ALEX AND HIS SPECIALTY
ALEXANDER LEE
I am currently a pharmacist practicing at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and I work in critical care. I have been practicing here for almost a decade now, and I work specifically in General Systems ICU. That is just a fancy term for a critical care unit that is not specialized in any particular subdivision, and we see a wide spectrum of disease types and critical illness severity This can range from the mundane such as monitoring patients post-op to treating patients with sepsis and full blown severe refractory shock on multiple life sustaining vasopressors and inotropes, just barely keeping them alive. There are other subdivisions of critical care such as neuro-ICU, CVIC, etc., but I do not practice in these areas. Our ICU features 3 teams staffed by 2-3 pharmacists at all times. 2 of the teams are teaching teams, meaning they comprise of both senior staff such as attendings, and also resident learners. I usually work on one of the teaching teams and play an integral role in rounding with the group on a daily basis with our patients. As you can imagine, rounding daily on a team in critical care means one has to be very on top of things. I find you can only be so prepared in ICU, but there will ALWAYS be times when I am called to step forward and think on my feet. To succeed in critical care means I have to be adaptable to constantly changing scenarios and learn to quickly “think outside the textbook.” This makes ICU both a very challenging yet rewarding area to work in. An excellent example of how I was asked to step up significantly in my career as an ICU pharmacist was being on the front lines during the COVID pandemic. I feel I could easily write a novel for just those 2 years alone, and sadly we will not have nearly enough time to cover that in this interview!
WHAT DID YOUR PATH TO HOSPITAL PHARMACY LOOK LIKE? WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PURSUE THIS ROUTE OF HOSPITAL PRACTICE?
My path was not in the traditional sense in that I can’t say I have always wanted to work in hospital practice. Because I didn’t! I actually worked mostly during my pharmacy student years in community pharmacy at Zellers, and would have very likely had signed on as a pharmacist there had the company not closed. I worked in 3rd and 4th year in Drug Information at the U of A and became much more comfortable and familiar in doing effective literature searches and practicing critical appraisal in order to answer questions effectively
However, I would say the turning point for me in actively wanting to pursue a hospital pharmacy career came during my fourth year rotation when I practiced General Internal Medicine on a Stroke Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. My preceptor Daniel Cyr, who still to this day holds a very special place in my heart as the “person” who elicited a “paradigm shift” in my thought process, made me realize the good I could accomplish towards patient care by utilizing my full potential to practice in the hospital setting. I effectively switched gears during my fourth year to actively pursue a hospital career.
My first job upon graduation was in rural pharmacy practice at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre in Fort McMurray. This was an exceptionally unique experience for someone as young as myself and ...
CSHP PHARMACIST INTERVIEW
... I quickly learned to become a “jack of all trades” pharmacist practicing in many different specialties in true “rural” fashion. There are often not as many readily available supports in rural practice and it becomes essential to know a bit of everything - when I was in Fort McMurray, I managed everything from long term care, pediatrics, ICU, and even NICU from time to time!
After 2 years of working in Fort McMurray, I decided to pursue advanced education, and it was an absolute boon that the U of A PharmD program for practicing pharmacists had just recently started. I went back to Edmonton in 2015-16 to pursue my PharmD degree under the tutelage of the Pharmacy Greats including Jill Hall and Rene Breault During my very last PharmD rotation, I encountered another “paradigm shift ” My last rotation took place at the Foothills hospital in Calgary and it was nowhere else but in critical care! Here I became OBSESSED with the adrenaline of a fast-paced practice where literally every decision one makes can impact the fine line between life and death. My ICU preceptor Tom Gieni also heavily influenced the pharmacist I am today and ingrained in me a strong sense of “always staying a few steps ahead” so that seemingly nothing can ever faze you during critical moments of decision-making.
After this rotation, I was HOOKED and knew I could not settle for anything outside of a critical care practice, which I actively pursued Fate would have it that a posting for an ICU pharmacist became available just a few months later at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and I applied for it successfully. The rest as they say is History in the Making.
WHAT DO YOU FIND IS THE MOST CHALLENGING IN YOUR SPECIALITY?
The most challenging aspect of critical care is the opposite of success - failure. And boy oh boy, have I failed many times. I like to be realistic. I don’t like to view things in rose-colored lenses. I have made many mistakes, and I know there are many more to come. The challenge is getting over the hurdle of your failures, learning from them, and telling yourself that you can’t make the perfect decision every time, no matter how hard you try. In critical care it is particularly rough because due to the fast-paced nature, it is just as easy to see a patient die as it is to see a patient live in front of your eyes. And the challenge is dealing with the emotions after, pulling yourself together, and mentally preparing yourself to deal with the next challenging patient case. And this can literally happen within minutes, seconds even! Again examples of these challenging times happened during the COVID pandemic
CSHP PHARMACIST INTERVIEW
WHAT DO YOU FIND IS THE MOST REWARDING IN YOUR SPECIALITY?
The most rewarding aspect I find practicing in critical care is how good it feels to know you succeeded in making a decision that helped to save a patient’s life After all these years, I have yet to experience another feeling like this! These decisions can range from anything such as making an appropriate antibiotic selection during the critical “Golden Hour” of sepsis to “coloring outside the textbook” to come up with a unique intervention that no one else on your team thought of. And because critical care is such a fast paced practice, you are able to quickly see the fruits of your labor when someone lives because of the role you played.
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS SPECALITY HAS PERSONALLY TAUGHT YOU?
What critical care practice has personally taught me is that you can have all the preparation in the world, all the training in the world, and all the knowledge in the world - but in the end, a large part of being successful in the business is having the right mindset, and a strong mental fortitude. As I mentioned before, it is critical (excuse the pun!) to always think a few steps ahead, be ready to “pivot” and adapt to the shifting scenarios. Always be ready to accept the consequences of your actions, whether they prove successful or not. And if it doesn’t work out this time, take the time to reflect, evaluate, and ask yourself what can you change to make the next time a “success story!”
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PHARMACY STUDENTS INTERESTED IN PURSUING
HOSPITAL PRACTICE?
I will leave our pharmacy students 2 pieces of advice, for those who are interested in hospital practice:
Everyone is different when it comes to contemplating and pursuing a career in hospital practice. There are merits with more traditional methods such as pursuing residency and hospital summer jobs if a student is so inclined. However I will also leave the advice that these traditional methods are not the “only” way(s) to pursue a career in hospital. Fortune favors the Bold, so be BOLD and explore during your time as a student! Really ask yourself is this what I want? Maybe take that student position or scary ICU rotation if you want to see what it's like first hand! Be unafraid to venture into rural practice to gain a better sense of independence! Become a pioneer to manufacture your own path forward in creating a rewarding and enriching career for yourself.
There’s no wax on/wax off to hospital practice. You have to feel it! Advanced education programs such residency and PharmD are excellent in providing you with advanced skills to use in your toolbox, but they can only get you so far. At the end of the day, you have to “walk the talk” and work the clinical line to become good at it. Practice really does make perfect (or at least a better version of yourself)! So the next time you are on your hospital rotation, step up and take on that challenging patient case that everyone is avoiding. Because hey, who knows, you might just make a difference!
REVIEWED BY:
MARISSA MIKHAIL
Lexicupid APSA PRESENTS
WILL YOU BE MY PAIR?
TAKE THIS SHORT QUIZ TO FIND OUT YOUR DRUG, AND WHICH DRUG INTERACTION WILL LEAVE YOUR HEART RACING!
Written by: Omnia Rajab
Questions
Q1: If you could perform at RxFactor, what would you do?
A) Singing
B) Dancing
C) Stand-Up Comedy
D) Live Minecraft parkour gameplay
Q2: What do you like to do in your free time?
A) Reading
B) Sleeping
C) Hanging out with friends
D) Existential Crisis
Q3: What kind of pharmacy would you like to do when you graduate?
A) Community Pharmacy
B) Hospital Pharmacy
C) Industrial Pharmacy
D) Research
Q4: How early do you start studying for exams?
A) I’ve been locked in since Day 1
B) Around a week before my exam, gives me a good chunk of time to review
C) 1 day before the exam - I’m just built different
D) What is studying?
Q5: What is your favourite class?
A) BASE - I love learning about the framework of pharmacy
B) Skills Lab - I love learning how to apply my knowledge to real world situations
C) Pharmacotherapy - I love learning about drugs and diagnoses
D) Pharmacokinetics - I love learning about how the body affects drugs
Drugs
If you chose mostly A, you are Atorvastatin
You’re reliable, dependable, and a true team player. Your steady presence is a comfort to everyone around you. Your most explosive drug interaction is with Warfarin. What can I say, opposites attract?
If you chose mostly B, you are Acetaminophen
What a character you are! You work just as hard as you play, and you’re always down for both going out and staying in. To really get the ball rolling with side effects, consider hanging out with Phenytoin.
If you chose mostly C, you are Phenytoin
You are the drug of drugs. A jack of all trades, you’re good at just about everything you do, and your ability to stay calm in pressure situations is truly commendable. Maybe your true pair is someone who can match your energy, like Acetaminophen.
If you chose mostly D, you are Warfarin
WOW stands for wow oh wow, because you are truly an enigma to behold. You’re unpredictable, the opposite of demure and mindful, and the life of the party! Straying from the grain is no small feat, and you need someone to ground you like Atorvastatin.
Note: The drugs paired up lead to significant drug interactions. Please do not pair these drugs in real life without clinically considering side effects. If you pair two drugs together and your evidence is this quiz, please reconsider as this is just for finding your true love (or laughs and giggles).
Recipeby:IsabelShin
RED VELVET MUFFINS
(WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING!)
PREP TIME: 15 MIN
Muffin Batter:
2eggs
1cupsugar
COOK TIME: 15 MIN MAKES 12 MUFFINS
¼cupmeltedbutter
¼cupvegetableoil
1tbspvinegar
1cupbuttermilk
¼tspsalt
1tspvanillaextract
1tspredgelfood colouring
2cupsflour
2tspbakingpowder
¼tspbakingsoda
⅓cupcocoapowder
Filling:
6ozcreamcheese softened
½cuppowderedsugar
½tspvanillaextract
1.
Preheat oven to 390°F.
2 In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, butter & oil
