The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada has announced that Sandra Aylward, who has been involved in Canada’s retail pharmacy industry for more than 30 years, has been named the 2016 recipient of the Len Marks Pharmacy Advancement Award. The award will be presented at the Chairman’s Dinner, June 14, 2016, during Pharmacy EXPO 2016.
A respected voice for pharmacy and as a past Chair of the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (predecessor to Neighbourhood Pharmacies), Ms. Aylward dedicated much of her time to working with associations to advance pharmacy practice, to engage with governments to improve scope of practice, as well as reimbursement models. She has also been heavily involved in negotiations with governments on pharmacy service agreements and drug pricing reform.
Ms. Aylward has left her mark across the industry nationally and has been an outstanding leader in pharmacy. By promoting the role of the pharmacist as a frontline healthcare practitioner, and by engaging elected provincial politicians, Ms. Aylward has been instrumental in expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice across the country.
At Dalhousie University, Ms. Aylward took a leadership role in encouraging pharmacy students to become informed and active in professional advocacy issues, including the expanded role pharmacists can play in healthcare today. Ms. Aylward spent much of her career with Sobeys, where she worked with the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, and other professional associations in Atlantic Canada in advancing pharmacy practice, in support of The Blueprint for Pharmacy and many other campaigns to increase implementation, access and funding for pharmacy services beyond traditional dispensing.
The Len Marks Pharmacy Advancement Award recipient is: Involved in supporting the development and excellence of pharmacy education at the university level, encouraging students to enter pharmacy as a career advance the standards of healthcare delivery; provides an environment ripe for education and training for pharmacy staff to advance the standards of healthcare delivery; and, promotes pharmacy as a community resource in the provision of pharmacy services and brings the attention of government and industry partners to the valuable contribution of community pharmacy.
Past recipients of the Len Marks Pharmacy Advancement Award include: David Windross, 2013; Russell Cohen, 2012; Barbara Wells, 2010; Albert Falardeau, 2009; and Sean McKelvey, 2008.
Neighbourhood Pharmacies represents the owners and operators of Canada’s leading drug store brands, operating in corporate chains, banners and buying groups, as well as mass merchandisers and grocery chains with pharmacies. For more information on this year’s Pharmacy Expo, visit events.neighbourhoodpharmacies.ca.
