IPG Alumni Tarek Hussein on becoming an Ontario Pharmacist

“I’ve been a licensed pharmacist for 25 years,” says Tarek Hussein, Kingston-based pharmacist and International Pharmacy Graduate program (IPG) alumnus, “But it was the IPG program that gave me the tools I needed to excel in my community.”

Graduating from Cairo University in 1993, and also holding a Master of Business Administration from IE Business School, Spain in 2006, Tarek practiced as a pharmacist and worked for several years in the pharmaceutical industry. Once settled in Ontario, Tarek felt he needed to upgrade his knowledge about how pharmacy is practiced in his province. For him, the IPG program was the perfect fit.

“I loved the way the program was designed. The learning was intensive and demanded a lot of attention over a short amount of time, but I think this is the best way to learn,” he says.

For Tarek, becoming a pharmacist in Ontario meant learning how to tackle the different challenges and ethical questions unique to Canada.

“The IPG program taught me a lot about how to approach, communicate and understand patient cases in a new way. The professors were fantastic in helping guide us through this process, working through our questions and frustrations, really motivating us to keep going.”

Tarek graduated from the IPG program in 2011 and successfully passed his licensing exams. Since then, he has worked in several community and hospital pharmacies. He currently owns and manages Weller Pharmacy in Kingston, where he works in close collaboration with the Kingston Community Health Centre to serve the needs of the neighborhood and community. In addition to standard dispensing services, Weller Pharmacy provides its neighbours with additional programs such as smoking cessation counselling, immunization, opioid dependence treatment, naloxone training, harm-reduction kits, and clinic days.

“My IPG experience motivated me to further my education as a pharmacist. Since graduating, I have taken several courses including certifications on Opioid Dependence Treatment and Smoking Cession from CAMH and Psychopharmacology for Clinicians from University of Toronto to learn how to better serve our patients in Kingston. Much like my instructors helped me, I want to use my skills and expertise to help those in need and give back to my community.”

Being a big believer in prevention and natural healing, Tarek also operates a Medication Therapy Management (MTM) clinic at the Kingston Integrated Healthcare Centre, where he collaborates with other healthcare practitioners, including naturopath and osteopath doctors, to help their patients better manage their medication regimens and choose better alternatives.

Maybe the best proof of the success of the IPG program is in Tarek’s recent community recognition—he was nominated as the best pharmacist in the City of Kingston, and has been appointed to the board of the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

“It has truly been an honor to serve my community, and I have the IPG program to thank for giving me the best tailored training available on the market.”