Interprofessional Education at Waterloo Pharmacy

Interprofessional Education occurs when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care.
Meet your IPE Team

Debbie Ellen, BScPhm
IPE Program Manager

Erika Mutimura
IPE Operations Coordinator
For general inquiries, please email pharmacyipe@uwaterloo.ca.
What is Intra-Interprofessional Education at Waterloo Pharmacy?
Our goal is to provide pharmacy students with opportunities to learn with, from, and about other health care professionals and students. In doing this, we hope to prepare students for interprofessional collaboration resulting in improving patient outcomes. Pharmacy IPE leverages the University of Waterloo and the School of Pharmacy’s core strength in innovative experiential programming to deliver unique IPE experiences to students.
Students will have the opportunity to engage with and attend a variety of events/activities, some of which are curricular (linked with courses), while others will be extracurricular and based on the students preferences.
What is the difference between Interprofessional and Intraprofessional Collaboration?
Interprofessional Collaboration means healthcare professionals with different backgrounds, collaborating to deliver high-quality care within health and social care. An example of this would be a team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and respiratory therapists working together.
Intraprofessional Collaboration means healthcare professionals with the same background collaborating to provide care. An example of this would be a team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working together to offer high-quality care.
Waterloo Pharmacy IPE Program Stages
IPE at the School of Pharmacy is broken down into 3 stages and embedded in both curricular and experiential learnings throughout the students 4 year degree.
Stage 1: Interprofessional Education Foundational Content
Stage 1 - Exposure
Interprofessional Education Foundational Content
- Didactic teaching.
- Core IPE concepts and competencies.
- PHARM 120, PHARM 290, Professional Practice Courses.
Stage 2: Intra-Interprofessional Simulated Learning Experiences
Stage 2 - Immersion
Intra-Interprofessional Simulated Learning Experiences
- In-person and online interactions with students and faculty from other programs.
- Workshops, seminars, role clarification exercises, facilitated small-group case discussions, role-plays with standardized patients.
- IPE Day, HIPED, RnRx, IPEC, Partners in Pharmacy.
Stage 3: Intra-Interprofessional Clinical Practice Experiences
Stage 3 - Application
Intra-Interprofessional Clinical Practice Experiences
- Authentic IP learning opportunities in a variety of practice settings – Co-op work terms and 4th year clinical rotations.
- Apply core concepts in clinical practice, gain confidence and refine collaborative competencies.
- Collaborative competency assessment.
IPE Passport Model
To track the students IPE journey during their PharmD degree, we have implemented use of the passport model. This is a model where students acquire increasing degrees of expertise in the six interprofessional competencies identified by the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC). These collaborative competencies assist the student in becoming a valued member of an interprofessional team. Passports are “stamped” at specific points in the curriculum as certification that students have participated in interprofessional activities.
Students build their passport by participating in extracurricular IPE activities organized by the student themselves, by community partners, or by the Pharmacy IPE team.
To learn more about the Passport System, please see the Charity Republic Training Guide.
What are the Canadian Interprofessional Healthcare Competencies (CIHC)?

There are six competency domains that highlight the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that shape the judgments essential for interprofessional collaborative practice. Each of the competencies are equally valuable and continue to develop over an individual’s professional lifespan. These competencies can be implemented within any relevant practice/learning situation and integrated into every new experience. ~CIHC National Competency Framework
You can view the CIHC Framework for more information.
Student-Led IPE Events

Are you wanting to plan your own IPE event?
Visit the "Waterloo IPE" Learn page for more information OR complete the form below.
Interested in Collaborating?
If you are looking to collaborate on any intra-interprofessional events or have any questions specific to IPE, please do not hesitate to reach out at pharmacyipe@uwaterloo.ca.