Neighbourhood Pharmacies wraps up live 2022 Pharmacy Expo

Members of the Neighbourhood Pharmacies Association of Canada returned to the land of badges, exhibitor booths, keynote sessions and business meetings in real life this week at the return of the annual Pharmacy EXPO to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. A virtual attendance option was also available to those who wished to join in remotely, but executives from Canada's pharmacy retailers and pharmaceutical and health services companies came from across the country for the event, which traditionally enables face-to-face business meetings between suppliers and customers over a three-day period. The theme of the EXPO was "Together towards tomorrow: writing the next chapter," and the keynotes and sessions each focused on that theme, providing insights into what's next in terms of how retail, healthcare and employers in general will have to innovate and adapt to some rapidly-emerging technologies and infrastructures. Read: Pharmacist fees for birth control and shingles covered in New Brunswick In one session, Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet gave attendees a glimpse into what business and even healthcare could look like in the Metaverse, which he describes as "a parallel and immersive digital reality comprised of interconnected worlds and technologies." For those who think of the Metaverse as a virtual world inhabited by gamers, Stephens reminded us how the initial launch of the cellphone was looked upon as a fun novelty—and how quickly it evolved from a clunky, heavy block to a wafer that now controls our lives. He also warned decision-makers to carefully consider if and how they wish to be involved in this new reality which will have immense human, moral and environmental impact. Read: Moderna says updated COVID-19 shot boosts Omicron protection Other key speakers included ret General Rick Hillier with thoughts on how to lead through a time of crisis, and the Hon. Lisa Raitt, co-chair of the multi-stakeholder Coalition for a Better Future, who explained that business, enterprise and national success will demand a focus on righting societal inequities and environmental impact, and that in fact, addressing the former will be the path towards solving the latter. Also part of the EXPO was the presentation of Neighbourhood Pharmacies awards: The Len Marks Pharmacy Advancement Award went to Dr. Jake Thiessen, professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto Faculty of Pharmacy and founder of the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Canada's first coop pharmacy program. The Distinguished Associate of the Year Award was presented to Jason Frame, Vice President, National Sales at JAMP Pharma Corp.

Neighbourhood Pharmacies wraps up live 2022 Pharmacy Expo

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