We have the skills, passion, and opportunity to push the profession of pharmacy to the best it can be for Canadain patients.
Waterloo Pharmacy alumnus Allison Tario received the New Practitioner Award at the Canadian Pharmacists Conference this weekend. Tario graduated in 2014 and is the first Waterloo Pharmacy alumni to receive this prestigious national award, bestowed by the Canadian Pharmacists Association.
While a student at Waterloo Pharmacy, Tario was a leader among her peers. She contributed as a member on the curriculum and professionalism committees and supported initiatives of national organizations like the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns.
Since graduation, Tario has consistently proven to be both an innovator and leader in the field of community pharmacy. Working at the award-winning Roulston’s Pharmacy in Simcoe, she has been instrumental in developing initiatives that serve both other pharmacists and patients. Some of her achievements include leading the initiation of new clinical and business strategies at Roulston’s, representing the profession of pharmacy at career fairs for undergraduate students, and advocating for the profession as a member of the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s Pharmacists’ Practice Committee.
In her community, Tario’s practice is progressive and patient-centered. She is passionate about transitions of care and works closely with patients who have left the hospital to ensure safe medication management through home visits and collaboration with other healthcare providers.
In addition, she develops programming and gives presentations to spread important health knowledge in her local community. She has advocated for increasing the accessibility of naloxone for opioid overdose response and has partnered with organizations to do numerous outreach presentations on this issue among other topics. Community engagement is important to her:
“I think pharmacists are ideally positioned to be educators in our communities, and I've taken any opportunity I can to connect with community groups such as service clubs, seniors groups, schools and community agencies,” Tario explains. “I enjoy the role I play in our community as a trusted health care professional who helps educate people about their health and the role their pharmacist can play in supporting them.”
Beyond her impressive accomplishments as a pharmacist, Tario is a strong supporter of the education of the next generation of pharmacists. She supports Waterloo Pharmacy in many ways: she volunteers for numerous student and school events and assists in the delivery of several courses.
“Allison was an outstanding, confident and ambitious student who’s gone on to have a successful career that pushes the boundaries of what a pharmacist can do,” says Professor Cynthia Richard who works with Allison delivering professional practice classes. “We are very lucky to have her in the classroom with us, giving back to students.”
The award recognizes Tario’s dedication to education in both the classroom and the workplace. She will continue to be an inspiring practitioner who demonstrates the broad range of services a pharmacist can provide, both for their colleagues and for the community.
“We have the skills, passion, and opportunity to push the profession of pharmacy to the best it can be for Canadian patients,” she says, speaking of her advocacy activities. “We need to embrace change and rise to the challenge to truly be leaders in our healthcare system.”