Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Pharmacy researchers win 2023 Canadian Pharmacists Journal Best Paper Award

This article was originally published on the School of Pharmacy website.

The Canadian Pharmacists Journal (CPJ) Best Paper Award is granted annually to the paper that most positively impacts pharmacy practice and leads to better patient care in the future. The 2023 CPJ Best Paper Award went to Waterloo Pharmacy researchers Dr. Sherilyn Houle, associate professor, Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh, associate professor and Dr. Nancy Waite, professor and associate director, who found a solution to assist the public and pharmacists in encouraging vaccination uptake in their study, Herpes zoster and human papillomavirus vaccination opportunities identified using electronic prompts at the time of scheduling influenza or COVID-19 vaccines.

“This award highlights the significance of integrating innovative technologies in enhancing the role of community pharmacists in public health activities. Improving vaccination coverage and prevention strategies will lead to bettering Canadians’ health,” Dr. Alsabbagh says.

"There’s a demand for this type of research and this recognition further proves its value. Embracing technology and new approaches will strengthen the future of pharmacy," says Dr. Houle.

The study evaluated the impact of an electronic questionnaire embedded into an appointment scheduling platform, MedEssist, to identify patients eligible for HPV or shingles vaccines, and their willingness to discuss these vaccines with their pharmacist during their seasonal vaccine appointments. Pharmacists were then prompted to facilitate further discussion in an efficient manner.

“It was great working with MedEssist, who develop tech solutions to solve community pharmacy challenges. Their on-the-ground presence combined with our research expertise made for a great partnership,” Waite says.

Patients who are unvaccinated against some conditions may not be aware of other vaccines they’re eligible for, or that such vaccines even exist. By providing patients a personalized assessment and delivering advice on eligible vaccines, pharmacists can optimize patient visits to improve immunization rates.

“This is one example of the type of research that falls within the vision of the Pharmacy Innovation in Immunization Research Collaborative at the School. We have a history of publishing in pharmacy practice research in relation to vaccination,” Houle says. “Our expertise in the area can be applied to many different research questions and healthcare needs.”

Using technology to reduce the workload on pharmacy staff gives pharmacists the space to spend time in the areas where they are most valuable, specifically patient discussions and decision making.

“This award validates our position as Canadian researchers who are at the forefront of improving pharmacy practice to enhance healthcare delivery,” Alsabbagh says.

Further research received ethics approval to investigate results from the consultations that were held because of the electronic questionnaire and to look at the effectiveness of those prompts to continue to better patient care.

A long focus on vision safety

This is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared on the School of Optometry & Vision Science website.

People such as police officers, pilots and railway dispatchers are responsible for keeping people safe. Dr. Jeff Hovis has helped ensure their vision is up to the job.

Hovis, an associate professor with the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science, has helped multiple Canadian agencies appropriately set vision standards since the mid-1980s.

Now, as he moves into retirement, he leaves a legacy of applied scholarship that has made him a sought-after consultant in areas such as aviation, maritime, rail, police and military vision standards.

Hovis grew up in a small town outside Toledo, Ohio, and went to The Ohio State University for his optometry degree and concurrent master’s. During his PhD at Indiana University, Hovis had a chance to delve deeply into colour vision, which fascinated him.

About eight per cent of males and half a per cent of females have colour vision deficits. There are, however, some unusual cases, such as people who have four types of colour-perceiving cones in the eye rather than the usual three. Hovis even encountered a man who claimed his colour blindness was cured when he fell out of a tree – the original problem may have been caused by a bone or blood vessel abnormality.

Hovis started as an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo in 1986, attracted by its friendly and energetic feel. Soon after, his expertise in colour vision and binocular vision – another field of interest – came in handy when he was invited to participate in reviewing vision standards for civil aviation.

At the time, there was no comprehensive summary of vision standards in Canada, so he started by putting one together. He continued periodically updating the summary throughout his career, creating a valuable resource for all concerned.

Vision standards are important in occupations where performance of some tasks is dependent on vision. For example, a locomotive engineer needs to be able to distinguish between different-coloured lights because they govern the train speed. A police officer or firefighter, while permitted to wear corrective lenses, needs a minimum level of uncorrected vision in case they lose their glasses or contact lenses in the line of duty.

In some areas, standards have changed over the years, whether because technologies have changed job requirements or because research has helped fine-tune standards. The advent of refractive laser surgery has also opened career paths for people who would not previously have qualified.

Hovis has been a major part of setting vision standards in Canada and has consulted in other countries, notably the U.S. and Australia. He has developed tests specific to certain jobs, such as a colour lantern test he developed for CN Rail and now used by all major Canadian railways. He has considered factors such as whether wearing tinted sunglasses affects job performance and helped set guidelines in areas such as these.

Another area of interest for Hovis has been ensuring safety eyewear is truly safe without compromising vision. Most notably, he worked with colleague Dr. Ralph Chou, now a Waterloo professor emeritus, on evaluating safety eyewear for the Canadian military, ensuring high performance and optical quality.

Read the full story on the School of Optometry & Vision Science website.

Uncharted podcast: juggling two careers

A message from Advancement.

After completing her co-op terms at the University of Waterloo, Alice Chu (BA ’18) felt a corporate career was no longer the right fit for her. On this episode of Uncharted, she shares her journey from the Honours Arts and Business program to a thriving career in the food industry, then pursuing a second career in law. Alice opens up about her transformative co-op terms, how an exchange to Singapore ignited her passion for food and how she’s committed to lifelong learning and pursuing new interests.

Check out the show notes on Waterloo News.

Listen to this UWaterloo Alumni Podcast episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Buzzsprout or wherever you get your podcasts.