Marissa Belcamino is a Clinical Pharmacist at a community pharmacy in Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario’s largest community.
Where They're Working
Pharmacists have always held a special place in the hearts of Marissa’s family. When her mother was living with debilitating kidney disease, it was the pharmacist at the renal clinic and their community pharmacist who she trusted most.
“Seeing their professionalism, the trust my mom placed in them – I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist like that one day,” says Marissa. “There never was another option – I was going to do everything I could to get to that goal.”
Today, she is the trusted community pharmacist that her patients turn to with questions and concerns. Marissa is one of only two pharmacists at a Thunder Bay Rexall. Nestled in a clinic building, her pharmacy provides a wide variety of services to walk-in customers, as well as supporting patients from the family physician and ophthalmology practices in the building.
In addition to serving the immediate community in Thunder Bay, Marissa’s pharmacy also provides medication packaging and counselling services for three remote northern communities. Martin Falls, Wunnimun Lake, and Sachigo Lake are all located north of Sioux Lookout. The communities are made up primarily of Indigenous Canadians, and because there is no road access, medications have to be prepared in her pharmacy and flown in by plane every week.
Reflections on the Program
“The overall atmosphere at the School of Pharmacy had a huge impact on my career. It really does feel like a big family – everyone is so supportive, the faculty are always available to answer questions and I was never afraid to ask for help or get involved. Maybe I’m biased, but it really is the best school.”
“Every day is different,” she reflects. “We have some tasks which are the same every week – we prepare packages for patients who have procedures scheduled with the ophthalmology clinic upstairs, and we are always preparing blister packs and other medications for the northern communities. Then we also have walk-in patients who have a variety of different needs.”
The remoteness of Thunder Bay – a city of 110,000 a 15.5 hour drive from Toronto – brings its own challenges. Many patients lack family physicians and there are limited specialists working in the area. For specialist appointments, most residents travel to either the GTA or Winnipeg. Add to that the daunting task of managing patients from the rural northern communities, and the pharmacist’s role can become complex.
“Sometimes we have patients who have been seen in Sioux Lookout but are here for a procedure or their family physician could be in Thunder Bay but their specialist is in Winnipeg or Toronto. Coordinating care and getting answers from all the professionals involved can be challenging.”
But ultimately, it’s the strong connections with her patients that keeps Marissa excited about her job.
“We’re the biggest city in Northwestern Ontario but we’re still a small pharmacy. I know 90% of my patients by first name, and I hear their stories and get to connect with them. Building that rapport and supporting their health is such a rewarding feeling.”
Marissa was raised in Thunder Bay, and though southern Ontario held its temptations, it was an easy choice for her to return home.
“I love this city and I’m excited to work here and build more connections here. It’s nice also to come back to the place where my friends and family are.”
Alumni Answers
UW: You’ve practiced in both southern and northern Ontario. What differences have you noticed?
MB: Up here there are fewer health care providers overall, so pharmacists have to play a bigger role and absolutely are working to full scope at all times. Many of my patients go a long time without seeing a family physician. Managing the transitions of care from having procedures in other cities and coming back here is complex. But ultimately, as the pharmacist, everything goes through us at one point, and we become a sort of hub person for patients’ health care.
Marissa volunteering at the CIBC Run for a Cure.
UW: You’ve been involved in numerous volunteer activities your whole life. What inspires you to keep this up, even with your busy day job?
MB: There are so many worthy organizations that can’t function without dedicated volunteers. Some of these causes are close to my heart, like the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Others I volunteer with because I love my city and I want to support it however I can – I’ve coached rec soccer in the past and have supported our local dragon boat festival for many years, and I enjoy being involved in this way.
Non-Pharm Fun
Marissa at the top of Diamond Head Crater Lookout in Honolulu.