Sherilyn Houle

Sherilyn Houle
Associate Professor
Location: PHR 7004

Biography

Dr. Houle's research interests are on the roles, outcomes, and uptake of pharmacy practice to full scope, with particular interest in the clinical areas of immunizations and travel health. Dr. Houle is also a regular provider of continuing professional development programs across topics including injection technique, vaccine hesitancy, travel medicine, and vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, herpes zoster (shingles), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), meningococcal disease, and pneumococcal disease.

Current areas of research include:
* The impact of pharmacy-based immunization services on vaccination rates, health system costs, and productivity
* The integration of regulated pharmacy technicians into community pharmacy immunization services
* Vaccine hesitancy and vaccine fatigue
* Vaccination screening and assessment by community pharmacists
* Pre-travel assessment and care provided by pharmacists for individuals planning travel
* Preparedness of new pharmacy graduates to practice to full scope

Dr. Houle coordinates the injections and immunizations training curriculum within the PharmD program.

Research Interests

  • Clinical, economic and societal outcomes of pharmacy professionals’ full scope of practice activities
  • Pharmacist-provided care in travel health and immunizations
  • Systematic reviews of pharmacist interventions
  • Clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice
  • Pharmacoeconomics

Education

  • 2014 PhD Experimental Medicine, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
  • 2014 Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
  • 2006 BSc Pharmacy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada

Awards

  • 2023 Best Paper Award, Canadian Pharmacists Journal
  • 2023 Exceptional Achievement in Research and Academia, Ontario Pharmacists Association
  • 2020 Outstanding Faculty Mentor in Graduate Program. School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo
  • 2019 Best Paper Award, Canadian Pharmacists Journal
  • 2019 Associate Member, Faculty of Travel Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
  • 2018 Certificate in Travel Health, International Society of Travel Medicine
  • 2015 Wellspring Pharmacy Leadership Award, Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy
  • 2014 Best Paper Award, Canadian Pharmacists Journal
  • 2013 Magnum Opus Award, Canadian Healthcare Network

Service

  • Licensed pharmacist (Ontario College of Pharmacists)
  • Practice experience in hospital, home care, community pharmacy, and family health team settings, including at the International Travel and Immunizations Clinic, Centre for Family Medicine, Kitchener, Ontario
  • Member of the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee
  • Scientific Board member with Travel Health Xpert
  • Chair-elect, Pharmacist Professional Group, International Society of Travel Medicine
  • Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy Journal (Editorial Board member)
  • Columnist (Travel Health), Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine
  • Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada Research Committee
  • Ontario Pharmacy Evidence Network (Executive committee member)

Professional Associations

  • Ontario Pharmacists Association
  • Canadian Pharmacists Association
  • International Society of Travel Medicine
  • Faculty of Travel Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
  • Canadian Association for Immunization Research, Evaluation and Education
  • Canadian Immunization Research Network

Affiliations and Volunteer Work

  • Cross-appointed to the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo
  • Associate Professor (status), Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto

Teaching*

  • PHARM 228 - Professional Practice 3
    • Taught in 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

Selected/Recent Publications

  • Houle SKD, Luk S*. News media reports of respiratory syncytial virus in Canada and the United States during the 2022-2023 respiratory virus season: A cross-sectional study. Health Sci Rep 2024;7:e70146.
  • Houle SKD, Waite NM, Vernon-Wilson E, Dolovich L, Yang M. Uptake and outcomes of VaxCheck, an adult life-course vaccination service: A study among community pharmacists. Vaccine 2024;42(20):126096.
  • Waite N, Houle SKD, Toppari K, Pereira JA. Willingness of Canadian community pharmacists to adopt a proactive life-course approach to vaccination services. J Am Pharm Assoc 2024;64(4):10203.
  • Doucette EJ, Pateman M, Fullerton MM, Lip A, Houle SKD, Kellner JD, Leal J, MacDonald SE, McNeil D, Davidson S, Constantinescu C. “You can push these conversations, but don’t push your patient away”: healthcare learner perspectives on virtual simulation games as an educational approach to address vaccine hesitancy. Front Public Health 2024;12:1408871.
  • Houle SKD, Andrew MK. RSV vaccination in older adults: Addressing vaccine hesitancy using the 3C model. Can Pharm J 2024;157(1):39-44.
  • Houle SKD, Alsabbagh MW, Waite NM. Herpes zoster and human papillomavirus vaccination opportunities identified using electronic prompts at the time of scheduling influenza or COVID-19 vaccines. Can Pharm J 2023;156(5):257-264.
  • Roumeliotis P, Houle SKD, Johal A, Roy B, Boivin W. Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions about influenza immunization among Canadians at high risk from influenza: a cross-sectional survey. Vaccines 2023;11(8):1378.
  • Cho H, Houle SKD, Alsabbagh MW. The Trends and Determinants of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination After Cardiovascular Events in Canada: A Repeated Pan-Canadian Cross-Sectional Study. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can 2023;43(2):87-97.
  • Lip A, Pateman M, Fullerton M, Chen HM, Bailey L, Houle S, Davidson S, Constantinescu C. Vaccine hesitancy educational tools for healthcare providers and trainees: A scoping review. Vaccine 2023;41:23-35.
  • Waite N, Pereira JA, Houle S, Gilca V, Andrew MK. The impact of influenza on the ability to work, volunteer and provide care: results from an online survey of Canadian adults 50 years and older. BMC Public Health 2022;22:2119.
  • Houle SKD, Timony PE, Waite NM, Gauthier AP. Identifying vaccination deserts: The availability and distribution of pharmacists with authorization to administer injections in Ontario. Can Pharm J 2022;155(5):258-266.
  • Nasreen S, Gebretekle GB, Lynch M, Kurdina A, Thomas M, Fadel S, Houle SKD, Waite NM, Crowcroft NS, Allin S. Understanding predictors of pneumococcal vaccine uptake in older adults aged 65 years and older in high-income countries across the globe: A scoping review. Vaccine 2022;40:4380-4393.
  • Foong-Reichert EA, Fung A, Carter C, Grindrod K, Houle S. Characteristics, predictors, and reasons for regulatory body disciplinary action in healthcare: a scoping review. J Med Regul 2022;107(4):17-31.
  • DeMarco M, Carter CA, Houle SKD, Waite NM. The role of pharmacy technicians in vaccination services: A scoping review. J Am Pharm Assoc 2022;62(1):15-26.

In The News