The NBPA honoured Laura DeCoste of St. Stephen with the New Practitioner Award on Saturday at their Awards Gala held as part of the New Brunswick Pharmacy Conference.
This award is presented to a new pharmacist (five years or less since graduation) for exceptional service through innovation or contributions to his/her community. Tim MacLaggan of Moncton and Daniel Pike of Fredericton also received this year's award.
Laura graduated from Dalhousie University in 2009 and has shown remarkable dedication to her patients, community, and a passion for the profession as a staff pharmacist. Her eagerness and professionalism in serving her community have earned her the position of pharmacy manager, and resulted in numerous Sobeys Pharmacy Group awards for her efforts, including the Sobeys 2010 Value Champion Award.
Laura has shown initiative with programs she developed herself, such as the Health Kids Program which she presented at a local parent-teacher meeting. She has done multiple medication reviews in her store and helped change therapy outcomes for many of her patients. Laura is one of the few NB pharmacists who obtained her immunization certificate and participated in the Immunization Sponsored Program.
When her store in St. Stephen was flooded during the torrential rains last December, she was at the center of an effort to maintain uninterrupted patient support while temporarily relocating. Even competing pharmacies in the community respected her professionalism and offered their help to facilitate the transition. Patients have remained loyal and she has not missed a beat with her community outreach initiatives.
The New Brunswick Pharmacy Conference was held in Fredericton from Friday, June 10, through Sunday, June 12, 2011. The New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association is the voice of pharmacists in the province, committed to providing leadership for the profession and improving the health of New Brunswickers.