Christine and coworkers at the airport in Sioux Lookout
If you live in a rural Ontario community, you face greater challenges accessing health resources than your urban counterparts. There are fewer health services and supports available nearby, and residents often have to travel far for appointments.

That’s where pharmacists come in. In communities where services are scarce, pharmacists can provide support to help patients access health knowledge and medications.

Alumnus Christine Sorin is doing just that. An experience in pharmacy school led her to practise in Sioux Lookout, a remote Ontario community five-and-a-half hours north of Thunder Bay. Christine’s patients are largely Indigenous Canadians, many of whom live in remote communities in the surrounding area. Many patients are flown into the Health Centre she where works, and she’s travelled to several northern communities to provide education on medication needs and side effects.

“We hear about systemic racism in the classroom but it’s different to be able to appreciate the effects of it first-hand. My experiences in Sioux Lookout made me want to be the kind of pharmacist who provides equitable health care. At the hospital here, I have so many opportunities to do just that.”

Read more about Christine’s experiences in Sioux Lookout.

About #RethinkPharmacists

Each March Pharmacist Awareness Month (PAM) celebrates the contributions that pharmacists make to our health care system. This month, the School of Pharmacy is showcasing how our alumni go beyond dispensing pills and play a pivotal role in the health of Canadians.