You can find pharmacy anywhere healthcare happens.
It’s easy to picture the pharmacist behind a counter, diligently checking doses and ensuring patients get the right medications. But today, that image is only a small snapshot of the bigger picture. Pharmacy professionals are now everywhere – embedded in family health teams, hospitals, working in long-term care homes, visiting patients in their own homes, supporting digital health initiatives, and even helping shape healthcare policy.
In short, pharmacy is evolving, and so are the people who practice it.
Over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare-systems across Canada have been tested like never before. Staff shortages, stretched resources, and changing clinical landscapes have made it clear that healthcare needs to adapt – and pharmacy professionals have stepped up in a big way. From expanding roles in primary care to leading medication safety in “hospital at home” models, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have shown that their impact reaches far beyond traditional hospital walls.
And our national professional association is evolving right along with all this change.
The Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) has long been the go-to voice for hospital pharmacy in Canada. But here’s the thing: we’re far more than hospital pharmacists. That’s why, in a bold step forward, CSHP has changed our name to better reflect the diverse roles and settings pharmacy professionals now occupy as the Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy/Société canadienne de pharmacie dans les réseaux de la santé.
Why the change?
We’re not just working in hospitals – we’re embedded across the entire healthcare system. From primary clinics to remote community care up north via telehealth, from acute care in hospitals to Canadian Air Ambulance, in multidisciplinary oncology clinics to enabling drug access to patients as Drug Access Navigators, pharmacy professionals are essential in every corner of care. The new name acknowledges that shift and embraces the full spectrum of where and how we serve.
CSHP has been steadily expanding its reach and inclusivity. In 2022/23, for example, pharmacy technicians were welcomed as full members of the Society – a recognition of their growing role and regulatory authority in many provinces. And across the country, legislative reforms are opening new doors, enabling pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to collaborate and lead with more autonomy than ever before.
These changes matter, not just because they empower professionals, but because they lead to better outcomes for patients.
Throughout this evolution, CSHP has been a steady source of connection and support. Whether it’s networking through communities, learning at conferences, or publishing in the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, the Society brings pharmacy professionals together to learn, collaborate, and advocate. That sense of community – sharpened and strengthened during the pandemic – continues to grow.
And as the organization grows, so does its role as a national voice for the profession. A modern, inclusive name gives CSHP more power when it comes to advocacy and public engagement. It helps the Society speak for all pharmacy professionals – pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and students – no matter where they work or who they serve.
Of course, change can be challenging. But just as we adjust a patient’s treatment when their goals shift, we need to adjust the way we define ourselves as a profession. The old name served us well for more than 75 years. But it’s time to move forward with something that captures who we are – and where we’re going.
So, whether you’re working on the frontlines of a hospital ward, collaborating in a primary care team, virtually delivering care, or supporting system-wide medication safety and access strategies – this is your Society, and this is your moment.
Let’s step into the future together.
By Katie Hollis and Jody Ciufo
Jody Ciufo, MBA is the Chief Executive Officer at CSHP and Katie Hollis, BScPhm, MHA is the CSHP President.