Outgoing CAPSI president looks ahead to her future . . . and the profession's

As the daughter of Gayle Romanetz—pharmacist and pharmacy advocate—Christine Vaccaro says she had “the luxury of being immersed in pharmacy” and seeing what practice was really like across the country. “Pharmacy practice in Manitoba expanded when I was in high school, with the introduction of prescribing for smoking cessation, common ailments and injection certification,” says Vaccaro. “I’m proud of my mom, who was heavily involved in advocating for these changes during her time with Pharmacists Manitoba.” Vaccaro got a sideline view of all these changes just as she was deciding what to study in university. “Whether it was dinner conversations or going to the pharmacist-run flu-shot clinic at my church, pharmacy was everywhere. During my years in pharmacy school, [my mom] helped organize COVID-19 vaccination clinics across western Canada and more recently, developed and opened the first pharmacist walk-in clinics in Alberta this year.” Read: The Innovators: Nancy Banoub, The MS pharmacist Given Vaccaro's accomplishments during her time as president of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI)—and as its Manitoba representative prior—pharmacy advocacy clearly runs in the family. In addition to helping usher back the successful return of in-person Profession Development Week (PDW) this past January, Vaccaro says she was proud to be part of establishing the Bridging the Gaps Fund, a community endowment fund available to pharmacy students who demonstrate financial need and leadership. "Privilege was often discussed during our council year [and] attending an event like PDW—that so many CAPSI alumni still talk about—isn't a financial possibility for many students," she says. "We're hoping in some capacity, this fund can bridge some of these gaps. CAPSI National’s Advocacy and Student Wellness Committees also developed school-specific reports for all 10 pharmacy schools based on the results of the 2022 CAPSI National wellness survey. "I’m . . . excited to see CAPSI continue to make significant strides in implementing our school-specific mental health recommendations and improved policies surrounding bereavement days." Read: Mission possible: pharmacies for all As she steps into an advisory role as CAPSI past-president, Vaccaro says she is thrilled to see the organization continue to grow and thrive under the leadership of her friend and new president, Madison Wong. As for Vaccaro's next stop, she is starting a residency in ambulatory care at the University of Waterloo, Centre for Family Medicine this September. "My short-term goals are to gain confidence as a new pharmacist and advance my knowledge in a variety of practice settings so that when I return to Manitoba, I can best serve my patients," she says. "In my future career, I hope my practice includes three main things: providing patient care in an ambulatory care setting, teaching learners and drug-utilization research." She and her mom would also like to return to the Pharmacist Manitoba board within the next couple of years to advocate for the profession together. Vaccaro's advice to others just starting their pharmacy training is to be kind to themselves and know they're not alone, even if at times they feel isolated and overwhelmed. "Leverage the connections you have with your peers, mentors and folks around you to ask for help or guidance," she says. "If there’s anything I’ve learned so far in pharmacy, it’s that folks within this profession are incredibly kind and are more than happy to help—or will know who to connect you with."

Outgoing CAPSI president looks ahead to her future . . . and the profession's

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