Mathew Demarco (Rx2011) is a transport medicine pharmacist, academic detailer and a PhD student at Waterloo Pharmacy. Being able to juggle multiple career paths requires a different way of thinking, one that Demarco has developed over the years, and continues to develop, through his pharmacy journey.
“Growing up I witnessed those close to me struggle with their health,” says Demarco. “Seeing my family members navigate these challenging circumstances inspired me to help people and help change the course of healthcare.”
Demarco has had a variety of pharmacy career experiences – he worked in hospital practice in a rural community in northern Ontario, in a primary care setting and in outpatient clinics. His current role as an academic detailer at the Centre for Effective Practice focuses on investigating what is important to patients and healthcare professionals, to help create a health-care system that works for everyone. His pharmacy practice PhD research at the School is the next step in his journey to learn from others. His focus is to formalize what is seen in practice into research, to help share messages, discoveries and best practices.
His research article, The role of pharmacy technicians in vaccination services: a scoping review, was published in the Journal of American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) in January of 2022. This scoping review highlighted studies that pushed the boundaries of the scope of practice for pharmacy technicians in providing vaccines services. This publication has earned an Outstanding Author award from JAPhA because it was the seventh most downloaded paper from JAPhA over the last two years. The scoping review was also recognized as a Top 10 Abstracts at the 2023 Canadian Immunization Conference.
Demarco had a keen interest in helping patients and changing the course of healthcare.
The more open minded we can be about the role of a pharmacy professionals, the more our roles can evolve and grow.
Q&A with Mat Demarco
UW: You have several different roles as a pharmacist, can you tell us about them?
MD: I relied on my co-op experiences to help shape me as a professional upon my entry to institutional pharmacy practice when I first graduated. My hospital practice experience at Health Science North in a rural community in northern Ontario was a high paced environment where I worked with inspiring pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. I also had the privilege of precepting over 30 University of Waterloo co-op or PharmD students. I also further invested in institutional pharmacy work experience early in my career when I joined Ornge Air Ambulance in a clinical and patient safety role to support their transport medicine practices across Ontario on board their 12 fixed wing and eight rotor wing aircrafts. These early opportunities nurtured me as the professional I am today. Next, my primary care and outpatient clinic experiences put me in my patients’ shoes to understand their experiences better and led me to my academic detailing position of supporting best practices for primary care providers. My pharmacy practice research is the next level in my journey to further push the limits and barriers, to help propel the profession forward.
UW: What made you decide to pursue your PhD?
MD: I recognized there were research skills I wish I had in the past to evaluate and share innovative pharmacy practices and patient care models that I was so lucky to be part of historically. Not having these skills pushed me to seek out where I could attain them. I took on this path with no experience in research after ten years in my career because the professors and their works inspired me to step out of my comfort zone. It was natural to me because this is another step to achieving my full potential as a pharmacist in positively impacting patient care but in a broader manner that contributes to current pharmacy practice literature.
UW: What has been your biggest obstacle to date?
MD: Managing my time. Being a part-time grad student and practicing as a pharmacist in tandem is demanding and requires adequate time to deliver the best work for both. My biggest facilitators have been my supervisors. Whenever I’ve presented them with a challenge, there has never been a time where they haven’t come back with a solution to support me. At Waterloo Pharmacy, Dr. Houle and Dr. Waite will, at any moment, meet you where you want to learn more – they make it happen and show you the way.
Non-Pharm Fun
Mat Demarco, Kaitlin Bynkoski and their son
Demarco’s family life is very exciting and challenging and he has been trying to soak up every minute of it.
“My family fills my cup. They help me come to work and be ready to solve difficult problems,” says Demarco. “None of this would be possible without my wife’s support.”
Becoming a new father has humbled him and shown him many opportunities to learn about himself and his son. Learning how to be a dad and learning from his son has been his major motivator these past few years.