Congratulations to Allison Tario (Rx2014), newly appointed assistant professor, teaching stream and assistant director, curriculum, at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy. She is also the director of the Waterloo Pharmacy Women in Pharmacy Leadership Program.
Tario’s journey to pharmacy started at Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied Biology in her undergrad. She always knew she wanted a career that blended her love of science and her dream of helping people. Her mom was a pharmacist and while there was never any pressure to pursue pharmacy as she was growing up, she realized it had the potential to be a fulfilling career for her. Tario completed her BSc Pharmacy and later, the Doctor of Pharmacy bridging program at Waterloo, and her pharmacy path led her to work in community pharmacy after graduation.
“Community pharmacy has been my focus since my early days as a student at the School and I found a wonderful job at an independent pharmacy in Norfolk County when I graduated, where I’ve been practicing for the last 10 years,” Tario says.
During her time as a practicing pharmacist, she continued to explore the pharmacy world in specialized compounding and long-term care clinical pharmacy. Tario also developed her passion for pharmacy in different areas: volunteering at the PanAm Games polyclinic pharmacy, serving on committees with OPA, developing and reviewing continuing education materials, presenting at conferences and working as a teaching assistant and later an adjunct faculty member at the School.
Tario recalls that her answer to the ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ question that people would ask throughout her childhood was always ‘a teacher’. During her career it was teaching others about medicine where her passion really thrived – teaching patients, fellow healthcare providers and her community. Over the last eight years, as opportunities to teach at the School of Pharmacy presented themselves, Tario took them on with growing excitement, and the ability to blend her passion for pharmacy and education became what she looked forward to the most.
Teaching future pharmacists directly impacts the future of the pharmacy profession and our healthcare system for the better. I want my students to take away that they have endless potential to influence their patients and their communities in a positive way. There are so many ways for pharmacists to improve the world around them both on small and large scales.
As an alum of Waterloo Pharmacy, Tario has the unique perspective on all the aspects of studying pharmacy. Many of the professional practice activities she now teaches are ones that she remembers doing herself 10 years ago in the seats the students are in now, with updated content as the healthcare field changes and grows.
“I know how it feels to be a Waterloo student striving to learn, wanting to succeed and sometimes feeling unsure of yourself. This gives me a respect and understanding for what students are going through and how we can best support them as educators,” Tario says.
Tario is looking forward to giving back to the School as she takes on this new role, looking back on her time as a Waterloo student as the foundation for her career that has now brought her back to her alma mater. When she’s not thinking about pharmacy, Tario enjoys golfing, baking and reading. She also enjoys gardening and attending community events around Port Dover, where she lives with her husband.
Congratulations and welcome to Waterloo Pharmacy Allison!