Shoppers Drug Mart recognized with Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Corporate Partnership Award

Zebrina Kassam, senior vice president, pharmacy planning and healthcare businesses accepts the 2023 Corporate Partnership Award present by Lisa Dolovich, professor and dean, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

For more than forty years, Shoppers Drug Mart has supported the education of pharmacy students and fueled innovative pharmacy-focused research at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. In recognition of this longstanding dedication to the future of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, Shoppers Drug Mart has been awarded the 2023 Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Corporate Partnership Award.

“This award celebrates the exceptional commitment Shoppers Drug Mart has made to our Faculty over many years, supporting several aspects of our work and advancing the profession of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences,” said Lisa Dolovich, professor and dean, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. “From substantial contributions to the development of our state-of-the-art Faculty building, to the establishment of numerous student awards, this support extends far beyond our labs and lecture halls as it fosters the growth of future generations of health professionals.”

The award was formally presented and celebrated at an event on October 17 that brought together faculty, staff, and students from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy as well as leaders from Shoppers Drug Mart.

“At Shoppers, we believe in the power of partnerships and our collaboration with the Faculty has been truly valuable. We look forward to continuing our work together, driving progress and excellence in pharmacy for generations to come.”
– Jeff Leger, President, Shoppers Drug Mart

Shoppers Drug Mart is honoured to accept the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Corporate Partnership Award. “Not only does this recognition underscore our team’s unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of Canadians, but it also reaffirms our dedication to the advancement of pharmacy as a profession,” said Jeff Leger, President of Shoppers Drug Mart. “At Shoppers, we believe in the power of partnerships and our collaboration with the Faculty has been truly valuable. We look forward to continuing our work together, driving progress and excellence in pharmacy for generations to come.”

A long-standing supporter of experiential education for pharmacy students

Since 1997 the Herbert Binder/Shoppers Drug Mart Bursaries have provided financial support to more than 200 Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students, enhancing their academic experience, and opening new opportunities for growth. In 2022, Shoppers Drug Mart strengthened their commitment to expanding the clinical experiences of pharmacy students by creating the Herbert Binder/Shoppers Drug Mart Bursaries for Experiential Education that support fourth year students pursuing advanced practice placements outside of the Greater Toronto Area. Recently, Shoppers Drug Mart also strengthened their commitment to improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in pharmacy by adding an equity focus to their longstanding program of student bursaries and by providing direct support to Black and Indigenous students pursuing a career in pharmacy.

Many Shoppers Drug Mart locations are also key learning and teaching environments where pharmacist preceptors teach and mentor students on rotation. In 2023, three Shoppers Drug Mart associates were recognized with Early Practice Experience (EPE) Preceptor of the Year awards. These student-nominated awards recognize outstanding individuals who go above and beyond in teaching the next generation of pharmacists. "As a recent University of Toronto graduate my goal as a preceptor is to ensure students have the opportunity to get as much exposure to real life practice as possible,” said Amandeep Dhaliwal, a Preceptor of the Year award recipient. “This sets them up for success in their career path as they can really understand what it means to work in a retail pharmacy setting. I find this very rewarding as students have the opportunity to spread their wings and learn about the expanding scope of pharmacists in Ontario.”

Strengthening pharmacists' role in healthcare through innovative research

As part of the recent $3-million donation to establish The Network for Improving Health Systems’ (NIHS), Shoppers Drug Mart has made a substantial investment in research that will evaluate an expanded role for pharmacists and how pharmacy teams can help improve access to care in communities. The NIHS is a unique collaboration between the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and Dalla Lana School of Public Health that is creating a strong engine for evidence and knowledge transfer around improving the healthcare system including evolving pharmacy practice and health policy.

Recently, several research teams were awarded funding through the newly established NIHS to examine a wide range of issues in public health and community-based care, from minor ailment prescribing to primary care to mental health.

Yasmin Aboelzahab, a graduate trainee from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, will be exploring pharmacists’ role in supporting newcomer international students and their families with the transition to the Canadian healthcare system.

Through her project she aims to address barriers and challenges newcomers face accessing healthcare and better understand their needs and lived experiences. “This work will be useful to pharmacists in Canada who provide care to newcomers everyday and help people navigate a completely new healthcare system,” said Aboelzahab. Insights from this project will be used to inform the development of a tailored approach that can be used in pharmacy practice.

“It is wonderful to come together and celebrate our partnership and connection with Shoppers Drug Mart,” said Dolovich. “We look forward to our continued partnership and future opportunities to shape and advance pharmacy practice and better health systems.”