New Brunswick pharmacists gathered in Fredericton on Saturday to pay tribute to the best and brightest in their profession.
The New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists and the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society honoured both long-time pharmacists and new practitioners at their Past President’s Dinner and Awards Banquet held as part of the 2013 New Brunswick Pharmacy Conference.
The Scott Knowles Memorial New Practitioner Service Award was presented to Shawn Cormier of Fredericton and Kassandra Campbell of Moncton.
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.
A Dalhousie Pharmacy graduate in 2011, Shawn Cormier of Fredericton is already building a reputation as a leader and innovator in preventative health and patient care. A registered pharmacist who practises at St. Mary’s IDA Pharmacy and Keswick Compounding Pharmacy, Shawn has started a weight loss company called Excalabur Weight Loss that operates within the St. Mary’s Pharmacy.
A compounding pharmacist certified in pain management and who has a keen interest in sports medicine, Shawn has created a weight loss program designed around Ideal Protein and is in the process of developing his own line of performance blends for maintaining weight and for performance athletes. His knowledge of nutritional supplementation and one-on-one counselling has helped numerous patients lose weight. In collaboration with his patients’ doctors, Shawn has been able to help his patients reduce their medications and improve their overall health.
“The pharmacists honoured have made outstanding contributions to their communities and to their profession,” says Alistair Bursey, President of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association. “We are 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 200 New Brunswick pharmacists attended the annual conference held over the weekend at the Delta Hotel in Fredericton. The conference included the annual general meetings of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association, New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists as well as professional development sessions and a keynote address by New Brunswick Health Minister Hugh J. Flemming.