New Brunswick pharmacists gathered in Moncton on Saturday to celebrate those who have made outstanding contributions to their profession.
The New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (NB chapter) and the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists honoured emerging leader Pauwlina McGrath with the Scott Knowles Memorial New Practitioner Service Award at their Past President’s Awards Gala held as part of the 2014 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. The award has been named honour of former New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association president Scott Knowles of Miramichi who died in 2011.
Pauwlina McGrath is passionate about pharmacy, and she’s committed to driving her profession forward for the betterment of public health. It has been only four years since Pauwlina became a registered pharmacist, and she has already made significant contributions to New Brunswick’s pharmacy profession.
After graduating from Dalhousie University in 2010, she joined Shoppers Drug Mart as a staff pharmacist. She quickly transitioned to owning her own pharmacy in the Shoppers Network within nine months of graduation, and remained as an associate owner for nearly three years before joining the central office team as a Pharmacy Operations Specialist, resourcing 41 stores in all of New Brunswick.
During her time as a registered and practicing pharmacist, Pauwlina developed permanent point-of-care clinics in her pharmacy to manage long-term diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases for those patients without a family physician. She was one of the first pharmacists certified to inject, to hold flu clinics, and to become a Humira Teaching Centre of Excellence.
She represented District 1 on the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society Council, served as President-Elect of the society, a member of the executive committee, chair of the governance and nomination committees, a member of the personnel committee, and served on the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) Board of Directors.
During her time on council and working as a pharmacist, Pauwlina gave birth prematurely to twin girls who are now 2.5 years old and thriving. The experience prompted her to help other parents who find themselves in the NICU with their premature infants as part of her local hospital’s Family Integrated Care initiative. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation.
“New Brunswick pharmacists are committed to their patients, their communities and their profession. It’s important that we recognize those who have made extraordinary contributions to patient care and to evolving the practice of pharmacy,” says Alistair Bursey, President of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association. “We are incredibly proud of the work done by our award winners, who range from long-time community volunteers, to lifelong learners to young professionals who are already enhancing our profession.”
Approximately 150 New Brunswick pharmacists attended the annual conference held over the weekend at the Delta Beausejour in Moncton. The conference included the annual general meetings of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (NB chapter) as well as professional development sessions and a keynote address by Jake Reid, Director, Government Relations & Advocacy (Atlantic Canada) for the Canadian Diabetes Association.