Q&A with Pharmacy U presenter Carolyn Whiskin: ‘Pharmacists are and will always be an integral part of patient care.’

Tell us a bit about your background – education and career path as a pharmacist.As a graduate of the faculty of pharmacy at the University of Toronto, my career in pharmacy started at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton where I served as the rheumatology pharmacist. This was a time when patients were hospitalized with severe inflammatory arthritis and before the advent of our advanced treatments such as biologics and JAK inhibitors. I moved to community pharmacy in Burlington at Brant Arts Dispensary and developed a patient education program including classes for rheumatology patients. I also developed expertise in compounding with a focus on pain and women’s health. This led to attaining the credential as a certified menopause practitioner with the North American Menopause Society (now the Menopause Society). Years later I was recruited to once again focus my practice on patients with autoimmune conditions and joined Charlton Health in Hamilton, working with the same rheumatologists that had been such mentors at the start of my career. I still maintain one day a week as a menopause practitioner. One of my passions in working with compromised patients is vaccination and this has led me to develop vaccination protocols that have been used across Canada. Along the journey, I have lectured at the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto. I continue to develop, evaluate and present continuing education programs for pharmacists and other health professionals.What has drawn you to the area of autoimmune disease?As my career path was launched in this area, being the pharmacist in charge of the rheumatic disease unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, I developed great passion in educating and supporting patients on their condition and treatment options. Have you found in your practice that more patients are suffering from autoimmune diseases?There is a constant flow of new patients being diagnosed and a lack of specialists to treat these patients. The number has been increasing.Has the pharmacist role changed in dealing with patients with autoimmune disorders?The role of a professional is to constantly grow and learn and utilize our scope to the fullest. The area of autoimmune disorders is no different. New medications, new vaccines, guideline changes all evolve the pharmacist’s role. Referral to a pharmacist for education and assessment once a diagnosis is made and before treatment is chosen is a great use of the pharmacist’s expertise and allows for an assessment of comorbidities, patient lifestyle, insurance considerations etc., to make the best recommendation to the specialist. I have been doing this for several years, but this is not routinely incorporated into all patient care plans.In general, are you finding that pharmacists are playing a greater role in helping patients with out-of-the-ordinary healthcare needs?I feel we have always been doing this. With a shortage of specialists and physicians in general, the role of the pharmacist in navigating many aspects of healthcare is definitely growing. As a pharmacist, you are involved in a number of different specialties and growing areas, including women’s health, smoking cessation and arthritis. Do you see specialization as the future (the present?) of pharmacy in Canada?There is always a place for the pharmacist as a generalist, as the most accessible health professional. It is an asset when members of any pharmacy team, community or otherwise, take on areas of focus in their learning to support each other. It helps define the conferences you attend, journal articles you read etc. As an example, I have attended the Ontario Rheumatology Association, Canadian Rheumatology Association and European Rheumatology Conference (EULAR) conferences, which have provided wonderful opportunities to grow in a specialized field.Finally, a general question – where do you see the profession of pharmacy moving in Canada?Pharmacists are and will always be an integral part of patient care. We need to leverage the team around us to allow our full scope of practice to be utilized to support the current and future gaps in healthcare. Carolyn Whiskin will be presenting at Pharmacy U Toronto on April 13, 2024.

Q&A with Pharmacy U presenter Carolyn Whiskin: ‘Pharmacists are and will always be an integral part of patient care.’

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