SHARP Symposium puts research to work on integrated care and health equity

How can pharmacy research translate into meaningful changes for patients, pharmacy teams and the wider health system?That question was at the heart of the 2026 SHARP Symposium (Strengthening Health with Research in Pharmacy), held Sept. 30 in downtown Toronto. The annual event, presented by the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy (CFP) and the Ontario Pharmacists Association, brought together more than 100 researchers, academics, policy leaders and pharmacy professionals under the theme Building an Equitable, Integrated Health System. This year’s program focused on integrated care and health equity, with presentations examining pharmacy workflow, technician integration, primary care attachment, health-system navigation and equitable access to pharmacy services.Opening plenary speaker Michelle Nelson, professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa, challenged attendees to think about community pharmacies not simply as healthcare destinations, but as potential connectors within their communities.“Community pharmacy sits in the space between people, place and systems,” she said, arguing that pharmacies’ relationships and local knowledge could be better leveraged to connect patients with people, services and other parts of the health system. A time-and-motion study presented by Danielle Paes, Yvon Picard and Jeff Mehltretter, and funded by CFP’s Innovation Fund, examined how community pharmacists are actually spending their working hours—and where there may be opportunities to free up more time for clinical care. Preliminary findings from 23 pharmacies in Ontario and Saskatchewan, encompassing 174 hours of observation, found pharmacists spent about 21% of their time on activities requiring a pharmacist’s licence. Nearly 40% was spent on work that could potentially be performed by pharmacy assistants and another 12% on work that could be performed by registered pharmacy technicians.Researchers also found pharmacists overestimated the proportion of their time spent on activities requiring their licence, suggesting there may be untapped opportunities to delegate more work to other pharmacy team members. Health equity was another major focus. Wasem Alsabbagh, associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy, discussed research examining disparities in opioid-related care, minor ailments services and vaccination. His work is examining whether expanded pharmacy services are reaching populations equitably and how evidence can inform policies that better support disadvantaged communities.A panel on moving “From Evidence to Execution” reinforced that expanding scope alone isn’t enough. Panelists Kristen Watt, Nardine Nakhla and Emily Black emphasized the importance of examining patient outcomes, implementation and the full patient journey—including what happens after pharmacists refer patients elsewhere in the healthcare system. The message throughout the day was that research has its greatest value when it moves beyond publication and into practice. In wrapping up the day, CFP’s Executive Director Linda Prytula noted: “We hope you’re leaving with some new ideas, new connections, and a renewed sense of what’s possible when research, practice and advocacy come together.”

SHARP Symposium puts research to work on integrated care and health equity

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