Ryan is a clinical pharmacist at Stanton Territorial Hospital, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Where They're Working
Ryan never planned to move up north, but today the Waterloo-born pharmacist works at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Yellowknife, with a population of approximately 20,000, is the largest community in the territories and is the capital city.
“My partner got a job in Yellowknife doing environmental research and I decided to join her and try to find a job,” he explains. “A position in the hospital pharmacy opened up, and I got the job. Since then, I’ve really enjoyed living up here and it’s been a very unique experience.”
Ryan’s interest in hospital practice was born out of his rotations placement in the ICU at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kitchener.
“In the ICU, I saw disease states that were very different from what I was accustomed to in community practice,” he reflects. “I was overwhelmed at first, but I liked the challenge. I felt more engaged at work and I enjoyed working as part of the care team.”
Reflections on the Program
“For co-op and rotations, I worked in a wide variety of practice settings which ultimately helped me to decide which practice environment I preferred. Working with excellent pharmacists in various practice settings has also helped shape the pharmacist I am today.”
Many of Ryan’s patients are Indigenous Canadians who live in small, remote communities where most health care delivery happens through nursing stations and health centers. To supply these patients with medication, the nearest community pharmacy flies supplies in on planes.
“This makes discharge planning more front of mind than it was in my previous roles in southern Ontario, as it’s not always as simple as giving the patient a discharge prescription and sending them on their way,” says Ryan. “For example, the clinical pharmacists are often involved in discharge planning and counselling to make sure there are no gaps in treatment with a patient’s antibiotics, anticoagulants, or chemotherapy.”
Alumni Answers
UW: What are some memorable lessons you’ve gained through your work?
RV: I can’t point to any specific instance or situation where it really set in, but over the last 2 years I’ve started to recognize my role in the care team. As pharmacists we are the medication experts, but as a new grad I didn’t always feel like an expert. It took time to gain confidence to make suggestions to change drug therapy, and experience to know when to stay firm with my recommendation. I’ve had a lot of great mentors and preceptors along the way that have helped shape me as a professional, and the most memorable lesson I’ve learned thus far is how crucial the role we play is when it comes to medication safety.
UW: What advice do you have for students or fellow alum interested in practicing in areas that are ‘off the beaten track’?
RV: Pharmacy degrees are one of the most versatile professional degrees. Aside from interprovincial licensing and jurisprudence, they allow you to practice across Canada with very few barriers. My advice to fellow alum and new students is to take advantage of this versatility, as not many other professions have such a transferable set of skills and knowledge.
Non-Pharm Fun
“Everyone in Yellowknife will tell you the best part about living here is the summers. With sunlight nearly the entire day, it makes it easy for my partner and I to do a lot of kayaking, canoeing and backcountry camping. We’re also involved with the Yellowknife Tennis Club and play in tournaments throughout the summer. In the winter, we take snowmobile trips around the lakes nearby, snowshoe through some of the territorial parks, and play squash with friends.”
