When pharmacy student Michelle Liang started her first work term at a Costco pharmacy in January 2020, she hadn’t been trained to administer vaccinations. Today, she has given over 1,000 influenza vaccine injections in the 2020 flu season.
Michelle after giving an injection to pharmacy alumnus Kris Mendoza
COVID-19 vaccinations may be in short supply, but when shipments arrive, Canada will need all the help it can get to administer millions of vaccines across the country.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has recently been approved in Canada and is evaluated to be about 62 per cent effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus.
Kelly Grindrod, a pharmacist and professor, breaks down how this vaccine and others like it work.
What is a viral vector vaccine?
Pharmacy Appreciation Month (PAM) is an initiative led by the Canadian Pharmacists Association. Throughout March, people across the country will celebrate the important contributions that pharmacists, technicians, and pharmacy students have made to the health of Canadians.
Community Action Now members. Top row: Randilynne Urslak, Pruntha Kanagasundaram, Melissa Abraham. Bottom row: Kajal Mehta, Andy Kwok, Hanein Madlol
Change is afoot at Waterloo Pharmacy. In January, Andrea Edginton, the School’s new Hallman Director began her term. The University of Waterloo announced a new Innovation Arena to be built on the Health Sciences Campus. And, of course, COVID-19 continues to impact pharmacy education.
By Lilian Toma
Lilian Toma started her Master of Science in Pharmacy in September 2020 when the University of Waterloo was operating primarily online with limited building access for essential work only. In this article, Lilian reflects on her grad school experience so far.
On grad school during COVID-19
The White Coat Ceremony is a staple of health care education programs across the country. New students are welcomed by practitioners of their chosen profession and are helped into white coats for the first time. This year, Waterloo Pharmacy’s white coat ceremony moved online, and the newest class of pharmacy students, Rx2024, was welcomed virtually.
PhD candidates Heba Alattas (left) and Shirley Wong’s (right) study examining the Rex phenotype was highlighted by GENETICS, a top-tier research journal
In Beyond Expectations, Waterloo Pharmacy’s strategic plan, the Pharmacy team identified a goal of “maintaining an environment and culture that empowers faculty, staff, and students to reach their potential and enables the achievement of the mission and vision of the School.”