Conference
Conference
Ajit Johal has been providing immunizations and clinical education since 2012. As a community pharmacist, he is a highly accessible and trusted provider of immunization services. In 2018, he founded Immunize.io, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of "taking our best shot at immunizing the world." Through this platform, Ajit has led numerous innovative vaccination initiatives to address vaccine hesitancy and improve access—locally, nationally, and globally. Ajit is widely recognized for his leadership in vaccine education and implementation. His work has garnered national and international acclaim, culminating in his recognition as the inaugural recipient of the Innovations in Vaccines Award (2024). He was also featured on the cover of Pharmacy Business Practice Magazine for his exemplary contributions through Immunize.io.
Bev Zwicker is the CEO and Registrar of the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator (NSPR), where she leads efforts to ensure pharmacy regulation supports the evolving healthcare needs of Nova Scotians. A champion of regulatory modernization, she has advanced initiatives that strengthen pharmacy practice, improve workforce capacity, and enhance patient care, including the implementation of the innovative StaffWISE program and modernization of licensure pathways for internationally educated pharmacists. A respected leader in healthcare governance, Bev has chaired numerous provincial and national boards, including NAPRA, the Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Board, the Nova Scotia Regulated Health Professions Network, and CCCEP. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Dalhousie University and has completed advanced studies in public administration and executive leadership. Driven by a passion for improving access to healthcare, Bev enjoys spending time with her husband, four children, and three grandchildren, and taking advantage of Nova Scotia's lakes and trails.
Colleen graduated from the Dalhousie College of Pharmacy in 2007 and is a community pharmacist in Shelburne, NS, where she primarily works as a CPPCC pharmacist. She is set to graduate from the MUN PharmD for Working Professional Program this month and has focused her studies on MHT whenever possible. She is passionate about providing healthcare providers with up-to-date information on MHT.
Cynthia “Cindy” Keith is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator who has worked for 35 years within her profession. She started her career by working in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan for 10 years. Since then, she has been employed with the Diabetes Management Centres, Nova Scotia Health Authority. In addition to her work of assisting people living with diabetes, she enjoys doing nutrition presentations to the public and professionals.
Darlene Chisholm is currently the Pharmacy Manager for a Guardian Pharmacy in Halifax, graduating from the Dalhousie College of Pharmacy in 2011, and honoured as PANS Pharmacist of the Year in 2020. She is a CDE and CPAMS-certified pharmacist who has served as a preceptor for Dalhousie University, Eastern College, and IPGs since 2012. Darlene is also a long standing member of the Governance, Membership, and Public Relations Committee with PANS.
Harpreet Chana is a global executive leadership and wellbeing keynote speaker and Certified Professional Coach (CPC) specializing in self-leadership and workplace wellbeing within healthcare. With experience coaching individuals and teams across Fortune and FTSE 100 organizations, Chana delivers leadership development, stress management, burnout prevention, and workplace culture training for healthcare professionals and organizations worldwide. Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience as a trained pharmacist who has overcome mental ill health while working in a senior leadership role, Harpreet Chana focuses on practical, immediately actionable strategies that help leaders and teams work more effectively, sustainably, and with less stress.
Jaclyn Tran, BScPharm, ACPR, MAEd(Health) is a pharmacist in the Central Zone Pharmacy Department, Nova Scotia Health. She enjoys doing project work and loves being part of the Drug Evaluation Unit. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outside with her family or playing recreational fastball.
Janet MacRae, BScPharm, CDE, is an experienced primary care pharmacist with over two decades of experience in progressively expanding roles in primary care, chronic disease management, and healthcare leadership. She has been instrumental in developing innovative pharmacist-led services, including multidisciplinary diabetes care and blood pressure management clinics. In addition to her clinical work, she has been a lecturer and preceptor with Dalhousie University, with a focus on diabetes and cardiometabolic conditions. She is also an active contributor to professional education, delivering presentations and developing continuing education content for healthcare professionals in evidence-based diabetes practice.
Dr. Jo-Anne Wilson is an Associate Professor of Pharmacotherapeutics with the Faculty of Health, College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, holds a Cross Appointment with the Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, is a Scientific Affiliate with Nova Scotia Health Research, Innovation and Discovery, and is an Associate Scientist with the Maritime SPOR Support Unit. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Dalhousie University, followed by an Accredited Canadian Pharmacy Residency at Dalhousie University, and earned a post-baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of South Carolina. In 2024, she completed a Masters of Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University. Jo-Anne has worked in Nephrology for 15 years where she served as a drug expert, researcher, educator, and mentor. Her research program focuses on chronic kidney disease (CKD) medication management optimization and safety, advancing primary care pharmacy practice in CKD management, drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in dialysis, and in creating medication information technology tools. She is the past-chair and current communications director for the National Renal Pharmacist Network, and a proud volunteer with the Atlantic Branch, Kidney Foundation of Canada Halifax Steering Committee.
Kelly graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 2000 and has since worked in both community and hospital practice. Since 2007, she has worked at the Colchester East Hants Health Center as a hospital pharmacist and in several leadership roles. In 2019, Kelly took on the Director role of the Academic Detailing Service at Dalhousie University,
Faculty of Medicine. In addition to her director role, she is an academic detailer, and has continued working as a hospital pharmacist on a casual basis. When not working, Kelly enjoys running, cooking, traveling, outdoor adventures, watching hockey, and spending time with her family and dogs.
Krista Faulkenham, RPhT is the Pharmacy Manager at Bridgewater Guardian Pharmacy and the first Pharmacy Technician in Nova Scotia to hold this position. A member of the first graduating class of the NSCC Pharmacy Technician program in 2010, Krista has spent more than 14 years advancing pharmacy practice and supporting patient care across Nova Scotia. Recognized as the 2024 PANS Pharmacy Technician of the Year, Krista is known for her leadership, mentorship, and commitment to helping pharmacy technicians practice to their full scope.
Kymmberley Wright is a nationally recognized pharmacy technician, award‑winning leader, and the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan. With nearly two decades of community pharmacy experience, she has become a voice for elevating pharmacy technician practice, patient experience, and collaborative team‑based care. Her career began behind the counter, where she quickly became known for her dedication, compassion, and ability to deliver an elevated level of service. . In 2021 when Kymm became one of Saskatchewan’s early technician injectors a milestone that not only expanded her clinical impact, but reshaped her sense of professional identity. Giving injections became the moment Kymm saw her power as a healthcare professional, and this has since fuelled her advocacy for scope expansion and technician visibility across her province and beyond.
Today, Kymm blends her lived experience with governance leadership and advocacy, serving as a passionate voice for technician injectors, expanded scope, and modernized pharmacy practice. She is a certified Called to Lead personal development coach. She is also the author of The Tech Effect, a national blog inspiring pharmacy professionals to reconnect with the “why” behind their work. Looking ahead, Kymm is expanding her impact as a keynote speaker, and advocate by empowering pharmacy professionals to step into their voice, claim their space, and shape the future of the profession. At the core of her work is a belief that patient‑first care is built through collaboration, and the willingness to elevate ourselves and our professional colleagues as collaborative healthcare professionals.
Lauren Steeves is the Director of Education and Partner Engagement at Extend Pharmacy Group. Located in Ottawa, Extend Pharmacy is a community pharmacy that specializes in providing care to patients with cancer receiving treatment with take home cancer drugs. Lauren and the team at Extend Pharmacy Group are passionate about sharing their experience in this highly focused practice setting, aiming to change the perception of cancer pharmacy from a therapeutic area that is siloed to one that is recognized as an essential aspect of pharmacy care across all practice settings.
Prior to her role at Extend, she was the Clinical Coordinator for Oncology Pharmacy at Nova Scotia Health - Central Zone. Lauren completed a BSc(Pharmacy) at Dalhousie University, her hospital residency at the Ottawa Hospital and subsequently went on to complete her PharmD at the University of Toronto. Lauren has been practicing in oncology for nine years. Her oncology clinical practice areas have included ambulatory medical oncology, acute inpatient palliative oncology, multiple myeloma ambulatory care, and prostate cancer ambulatory care.
Lucas Thorne-Humphrey graduated with a BSc. Pharm from Dalhousie University in 2009 and completed his Hospital Pharmacy Residency the following year at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax Nova Scotia. He has worked at the QEII in various clinical capacities and also in rural hospital practice. He has been an a lecturer at the College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie Continuing Pharmacy Education, and the School of Nursing. In addition to working in community practice, Lucas has also had significant educational experiences in Western Canada and the United States in areas such as clinical toxicity, oncology, and the treatment of HIV/Viral hepatitis in marginalized populations. Lucas currently works as an infectious disease pharmacist at the QEII Health sciences center with a focus on helping patients living with HIV.
Mathew is a pharmacist and PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo, specializing in regulated pharmacy technicians and health systems research. He serves as an executive member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s Pharmacy Technician Advisory Council and the Canadian Association for Immunization Research, Education, and Evaluation. Mathew earned his entry‑level PharmD from the University of Waterloo in 2011. Since then, he has provided academic detailing services to primary care providers (2018–present) and has served as the sole clinical pharmacist for Ontario’s air ambulance service since 2012.
Michael Boivin is a clinical pharmacist consultant, continuing education developer and president of CommPharm Consulting Inc. In 2009, he left full-time pharmacy practice to pursue a career in continuing education and consulting. He has developed in excess of 600 accredited continuing education activities for pharmacists, family physicians, specialists and allied healthcare professionals. In 2024, he was recognized for his work with a lifetime achievement award from the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association.
Natasha is a pharmacist with Nova Scotia Health. In her current role, Natasha provides drug evaluation support for Nova Scotia Health affiliated programs along with Drug Evaluation Alliance of Nova Scotia programs, including the Dalhousie Academic Detailing Service. Outside of work, Natasha enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking with her dog, reading, and travelling.
Robyn Oickle is a licensed Pharmacy Technician who graduated from Eastern College and obtained her licensure in February 2017. She began her career at Shoppers Drug Mart in the fall of 2017 and in 2023, proudly transitioned into an educational role as an Instructor with Eastern College for the Pharmacy Technician Program, Pharmacy Assistant Program, and the Pharmacy Technician Bridging Program.Robyn is deeply committed to advancing patient health and wellness. She is a certified Sigvaris compression stocking fitter and received her Drug Administration by Injection Technical Permit in November 2020. Her passion for community care is evident through her active involvement in chronic disease management and the delivery of point-of-care testing services at her pharmacy.In addition to her professional and educational roles, Robyn contributes to the advancement of the pharmacy profession through committee involvement. She serves on the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia GMP Committee, the Pharmacy Technician Program Advisory Committee at Eastern College, and is honored to hold the distinguished position of Pharmacy Technician Representative on the PANS Board of Directors.Robyn is enthusiastic about the evolving landscape of pharmacy practice and is dedicated to supporting innovation and excellence within the profession.
Steve Foran’s mission is to create one billion happier people. A former electrical engineer, his career pivoted during his MBA when he uncovered the powerful connection between gratitude and leadership. Awarded the Gold Medal for academic excellence, Steve laid the groundwork for a career dedicated to helping leaders and organizations thrive through gratitude. With more than 18 years of research and practice, Steve has become a leading expert in gratitude-driven leadership, combining positive psychology and business strategies to foster happier, more engaged workplaces. In 2006, he founded Gratitude at Work, a global initiative helping leaders embed gratitude into their cultures, resulting in higher employee engagement, morale, and business performance.
Suzanne oversees Innomar pharmacist resources and facilitates the implementation, advancement, and maintenance of pharmacy clinical services. She serves as a clinical resource for professional pharmacy staff, and corporate innovators. Suzanne’s career spans decades in community pharmacy including over ten years in specialty pharmacy. Before joining Innomar in 2017, Suzanne’s background includes consultant pharmacist and leadership roles serving patients in rural, urban and military communities, as well as providing pharmacy services, Sterile and Non-Sterile compounded prescriptions for hospital outpatients and discharge. Suzanne has a BSc in Pharmacy and a Certificate in Adult Education from Dalhousie University, and a Diabetes Educator Graduate Certificate from The Michener Institute. She maintains certification in diabetes education and holds professional certificates in the areas of oncology and hematology, neurologic and inflammatory disease states and sterile compounding. Working in specialty pharmacy commands exploration of “up-and-coming “treatments. Suzanne enjoys the pursuit of knowledge that comes with the regular introduction of complex therapies for oncology, rare and chronic disease states.
Thomas graduated from the College of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University in 2017. He worked in community pharmacy in New Brunswick before completing a hospital pharmacy residency in 2019 at Nova Scotia Health, Central Zone. Thomas has practiced as a surgery pharmacist in vascular surgery since 2019 but took several professional detours during the COVID-19 Pandemic to assist on pandemic response programs. In 2023, he became the Professional Practice Pharmacist for Nova Scotia Health, Central Zone. Much of this work has involved the design, build, and roll-out of the One Patient One Record Clinical Information System (OPOR-CIS).