The 2022 OPA conference is an experience you don’t want to miss! This year, the conference is virtual with an in-person social event so you can catch up with colleagues and friends.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Owner & Pharmacist
Member-
Earn up to 10 CEUs
New Practitioner
Member-
Earn up to 10 CEUs
-
Must Use Promo Code: NPSAVE22
Technician & Student
Member-
Earn up to 10 CEUs
General Admission
Non-Member-
Earn up to 10 CEUs
The Networking and Social Boat Cruise is included in your conference pass purchase. Bring a guest to the social event for an additional $99!
The Ontario Pharmacists Association’s (OPA) Unite to Ignite virtual conference is dedicated to bringing the top minds together to learn, share, and discuss all things pharmacy. More than ever, pharmacy practice is shifting, and pharmacy teams are playing a pivotal role in patients’ health care. The conference is your opportunity to discuss challenges, share ideas, expand your professional development and connect with leading experts so that you are prepared for what’s next.
With an immersive virtual conference experience, you’ll be able to easily connect with hundreds of other attendees, OPA staff, and presenters. Meet face-to-face with any attendee or exhibitor, gather in small groups in one of our networking lounges for topical discussions or just to connect with an old friend. Also, earn points towards prizes on an interactive leaderboard and watch live demonstrations from some of our exhibitors in a dedicated space. PLUS, on July 9th, join us for an in-person social event onboard a luxury boat where you can engage and connect with others in a relaxed setting. You can also purchase an additional pass for an extra guest.
Here’s What You Can Expect:
NETWORKING & SOCIAL EVENT
The last two years have expanded the profession like never before. The conference social event is your opportunity to kick-back relax and come together with the pharmacy community to share stories and network. Hop aboard a luxury boat where you’ll be able to take in Toronto’s scenic waterfront while being wined, dined, and entertained. The conference social event will take place on July 9th. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic all current COVID-19 protocols at the time of the event will be followed.
Saturday July 9, 2022
OPA Social Event Boat Cruise, Northern Spirit
Boarding 6:30 p.m. | Cruising 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | Final Disembark 10:30 p.m.
207 Queens Quay West (at the foot of York St).
Jessica Holmes
Celebrated Comedian | Author | Mental Health Advocate
OPENING KEYNOTE
Understanding Mental Health: The Good, the Bad, and the Funny
The negative stigma surrounding mental illness leads to more unnecessary suffering for the one in five working Canadians dealing with mental health conditions. And the stress and isolation of COVID-19 has led to higher rates of burnout and presenteeism. It’s time to talk but discussing mental health doesn’t have to be heavy or burdensome.
Comedian and Bell Let’s Talk ambassador Jessica Holmes breaks down the stigma by using heart and humour to share her experience with depression. She weaves comedy, characters, and music to bring understanding and hope to a serious subject, describing how she went from successful entertainer who opened for Oprah Winfrey to couch potato who slept more than the cat!
Holmes shares the lessons she wrote about in her heartwarmingly funny book Depression The Comedy to motivate your team to prioritize their well-being. Your team will learn:
- Where to begin if they or someone they know is struggling.
- How a small shift in perspective can increase their fulfillment and happiness at work.
- Simple, achievable steps to improve mental health.
- How to reconnect with their greater potential through a values exercise.
- That no one is alone, and we’re all entitled to a sense of well-being.
Holmes’ story, which has a deeply happy ending, leaves your team with a better understanding of mental illness, more empathy and understanding for those suffering with it, and that wonderful feeling you get from belly laughs.
Sponsored by:
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Nav Bhatia is best known as the Official Toronto Raptors Superfan. He has not missed a home game since the inception of the team in 1995. He can be seen at the Air Canada Centre and quite a few road games sitting in his now famous courtside seat next to the basket. In 2015 Nav was also appointed to the role of Raptor`s Community Ambassador and asked to report to the Global Ambassador, Drake, as they look to spread the love of Basketball and the Toronto Raptors.
Nav Bhatia immigrated to Canada from India with a mechanical engineering degree in 1984. After overcoming significant prejudice and obstacles as a Sikh, today he boasts successful business enterprises and the coveted title of “Superfan” of the Toronto Raptors.
On his first day of work as a car salesperson, Nav had racially offensive jokes and name-calling directed at him because he was wearing a turban. He made a choice. Rather than fight back with insults, Nav took a positive route by letting his hard work do the talking. He sold 127 cars in just ninety days. It’s a record that stands to this day. He did it the old-fashioned way, by being honest (and yes, some catchy radio ads). Nav soon became the manager and today owns that dealership along with two others in Ontario.
He’s known as the Official Raptor’s Superfan, and recently was given the title Raptor`s South Asian Community Ambassador working alongside superstar Drake. Sitting in courtside seat A12, Nav can often be seen cheering enthusiastically or sharing words of encouragement with players on both teams.
Nav Bhatia
Raptors Superfan | Canadian Businessman | Philanthropist
SESSIONS & SPEAKERS
Accredited for 10 CEUs. Earn credits by viewing the education sessions after the conference!
Time: 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Description: The presentation outlines the basics of transplant medications including common medication regimens, drug coverage, and practical tips surrounding transplant medications in the community pharmacy setting. As transplant is a niche therapeutic area, the presentation aims to provide pharmacy professionals with the foundational knowledge they need to care for this unique patient population.
Speaker: Nisha Gajaria
Bio: Nisha graduated from the University of Toronto in 2019. Since that time, she has been a pharmacist at the Transplant Outpatient Pharmacy at Toronto General Hospital. Nisha enjoys teaching pharmacy learners. She is a preceptor at University of Toronto and facilitates labs for PharmD and international pharmacy graduate students at University of Toronto and University of Alberta. Nisha has been supporting vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Region of Peel mass vaccination clinics.
Time: 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Description: This dynamic session is aimed to engage healthcare providers in identifying the various challenges that exist when providing virtual pharmaceutical care (VPS). The session will introduce the concept of social determinants of digital health and the research into the various factors at play which impact the quality of digital healthcare patients receive. With an overview of current evidence, attendees will be able to understand the gaps and disparities that exist in provision of virtual healthcare. Attendees will be able to apply the learning to identify challenges and appropriate interventions through various patient cases to address the disparities. The session will serve as a foundation to creating inclusive virtual care programs.
Speaker: Aska Patel
Bio: Dr. Aska Patel is a pharmacist, and an entrepreneur, with a passion for digital delivery of healthcare. She completed her Bachelors of Pharmacy in 2012 and Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2016 from the University of Waterloo. Aska has worked as a pharmacist in community, hospital, government and home care settings. Aska recently launched her entrepreneurial venture providing healthcare consulting while joining a digital health venture as a startup advisor, and launched a podcast where she discusses the future of pharmacy with global industry leaders.
Sponsored by:
Time: 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Description: There are numerous in-home electronic and “smart” medication dispensing and adherence technologies that are emerging as options for addressing unintentional medication non-adherence. These “smart” medication adherence devices offer reminder notifications and real-time monitoring of medication intake, which can be used by clinicians and caregivers to monitor adherence. Over 88 electronic and 51 “smart” medication dispensing technologies have been identified. These devices differ from each other in features such as number of compartments, ability to package different formulations, type of connectivity, and adherence data displays. However, some devices have features that may present significant challenges to certain patient populations such as older adults in managing medications. As pharmacists will be asked to integrate these technologies into their workflow and may be provide medication adherence monitoring, it is imperative they become aware of these products. Furthermore, features of these devices should be considered carefully before recommending them to patients. This session will address these objectives.
Speaker: Tejal Patel
Bio: Dr. Tejal Patel is an clinical associate professor at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, and a clinical pharmacist with the Memory Clinic at the Centre for Family Medicine Family Health Team in Kitchener, Ontario. Dr. Patel obtained her PharmD from the University of Kentucky and completed a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship in Neurology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her clinical practice and research is focused on the pharmacotherapeutic management of neurological disorders, and medication use process in the older adult, with a particular focus on the use of potentially inappropriate medications, polypharmacy, capacity to manage medications and adherence.
Sponsored by:
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Description: Get up to date on the newest treatments available for migraine prevention and learn more about the treatment options and lifestyle changes that are best supported by science.
Speaker: Heba BaniHani
Bio: Heba is a Registered pharmacist and holds an MBA in healthcare and life sciences from the University of Toronto. Heba started her career in the pharmaceutical industry managing migraine brands such as Imitrex and Botox and currently trains pharmacists on managing migraine through the Migraine Pharmacy Network program. She has been counselling migraine patients in person and virtually in Canada as part of Well.ca the leading Canadian health & wellness provider. Heba works closely with Migraine Canada and the Canadian Migraine support group, among other organizations that support people living with migraine. Alongside her work in Canada, she currently holds the position of Clinical Program Director for the Migraine Science Collaborative- Rhode Island US, and is part of the specialty representative advisory board of the Association of Migraine Disorders – USA
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Description: We all know that rest is important. But how can we find time for it? We usually think about rest as sleep (and sleep is important too) but we can use mindfulness to create a restorative time for ourselves any time, even if we only have 2 minutes between patients at work. It’s kind of like getting a massage without going to the spa! In this session, we will learn a mindfulness technique called Feel Rest that will help you discover and fully experience the rest that’s always available to you, even in moments of stress and challenge.
Speaker: Rachel Whitty
Bio: Rachel Whitty is a Registered Pharmacist, a Certified Health Executive, an Adjunct Lecturer at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, and a Unified Mindfulness Coach. Rachel has worked in both academic and community hospitals for nearly 13 years in a variety of direct patient care and leadership roles (Pharmacy, Laboratory Medicine, International Partnerships, Organizational Development, General Internal Medicine, Oncology, Renal, and Palliative Care). She has ongoing research and teaching projects in palliative care, pain management and oncology.
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Description: This session will cover the current evidence for prescribing exercise, offer some guidance on how to prescribe exercise effectively, and address the common pitfalls and challenges that occur in the clinical setting. Many pharmacists might see the value of exercise, but how much effort do they put in to encourage patients to be more active?
Dr. Josh Levin, a GP in Victoria, has a high regard for the value of exercise in improving a patients’ mental and physical health. In this session, he will discuss the evidence around the value of exercise in optimal health.
Speaker: Dr. Josh Levin
Bio: Dr. Levin is a family doctor in Victoria, BC with a lifestyle-focused practice, where he helps patients transform their lives through healthy habits. I graduated from McGill medicine in 2012, and obtained my lifestyle medicine diploma from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2019. I strive to use medical tests and treatments wisely, so that I can practice the art of medicine in a way that is both sustainable and effective, for myself, my patients, and my community. When I am not cycling to and from the clinic, I enjoy Olympic weightlifting, walking in nature, and contemplating life’s mysteries.
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Description: Few events can be as disruptive and traumatizing as pharmacy robbery or theft. While they pose a threat to operations and personnel, they also create financial loss and profitability issues. Join experts from HUB’s Risk Services Division for a discussion of trending threat vectors and elements of a comprehensive approach to managing this complex risk.
Speaker: Brian J. Schnese
Bio: Brian J. Schnese is a Senior Risk Consultant with HUB International’s Risk Services Division and Assistant Vice President of the Division’s Organizational Resilience consulting team. Brian has over 15 years of professional experience in regulatory compliance and managing risk in state and federal government agencies, and in private industry operations including brick and mortar and online retail, supply chain, transportation, healthcare, and the financial industry.
Brian is a former FBI Special Agent and was most recently a Senior Manager in the National Investigations Center of a Fortune 50 corporation. He has extensive training and experience in functional areas related to theft and fraud, law enforcement, crisis management, intelligence gathering/production, money laundering, organized retail crime, safety and security risk, non-violent intervention, assets protection, and investigations. He brings deep subject matter expertise in assessing and implementing internal controls, conducting complex financial fraud investigations, and building internal fraud prevention and resolution strategies.
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Description: Graham will inspire pharmacists to ‘think outside the box’ and brand themselves in a part of patient care they feel passionate about. This moves you from the transactional “dispensing’ pharmacist to one who is recognized by their patients. Whether you own your pharmacy or work for a large chain, the opportunities to stand out remain.
Speaker: Graham MacKenzie
Bio: Graham graduated from St. F.X University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia with a B.Sc. in chemistry in 1989 and then went on to graduate from Dalhousie University in Halifax in 1993 with his pharmacy degree. He started working at Stone’s Drug Store in Baddeck, Nova Scotia after graduation and purchased the pharmacy in 2001. He has 15 years’ experience in compounding and uses this extensively in palliative care. Graham is an advocate of the profession and is seen often in Nova Scotia news interviews on various topics. He is known for his removal of sugar sweetened beverages from his pharmacy in 2014 and then for the removal of homoeopathic products in 2018, which brought international attention to his small village pharmacy in Baddeck. He is the recipient of the Diabetes Canada Bold and Audacious Achievement award and the Takeda Magnum OPUS award. He has recently published a book called Healthy Logic: Evidence Based Healthy Aging, which explores the evidence behind many of the healthy ageing claims we as pharmacists are asked about.
Time: 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Description: Pharmacy technicians are an essential part of the pharmacy team; they constantly Juggle Unlimited Stressful Tasks (J.U.S.T). Find ideas on how a Registered Pharmacy Technician can make themselves more in demand, as well as dealing with day to day operations at the Pharmacy. Pharmacy Technicians can use their C.E.’s to gain valuable information for billable services. How speaking with drug reps and device reps can help the pharmacy. Learn how to work fully in your scope of practice by working with pharmacists achieve mutual goals for their pharmacy. Applying this practice in your pharmacy to make it so they wonder how they ever got by without you working there. Also learn some the pit falls that can happen from poor planning or execution.
Speaker: Drew West
Bio: Drew West has over 7 years’ experience in retail pharmacy with a wide variety of roles. He graduated from CTS Canadian Career College in North Bay in 2014 and became a regulated Pharmacy Technician in 2015. Today, you will find Drew at Northern Shores Pharmachoice Pharmacy, where he is the lead on blister packs, organizes flu shot programs, runs the dispensary inventory, deals with sterile and non-sterile compounding, and handles coachable clinics, like the pharmacy’s diabetes clinic.
Time: 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Description: Even though it was there before, COVID-19 certainly brought science into the forefront of our day-to-day activities, with everyone searching for answers about this new virus. Refresh your skills in the session. This session will discuss the basic principles of critical appraisal of the medical literature. Attendees will learn about different study types, how to interpret findings of a study, how to determine whether a study’s findings are applicable to their practice setting, and how to appropriately apply findings to patient care.
Speaker: Nina Lathia
Bio: Nina is a pharmacist and health economist. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree, a Masters degree (MSc) and a Doctorate degree (PhD) from the University of Toronto. While completing her PhD she was a Clinical Research Fellow of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She has worked in Canada and internationally, including as a Lecturer at the University of Toronto, a Senior Technical Advisor at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, and as a Toronto-based consultant. She is interested in using data to improve health outcomes and allocate resources cost-effectively.
Sponsored by:
Time: 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Description: The pandemic has made the opioid crisis more acute, and the time to dig in and make a difference is now. Mark and Harsit are passionate pharmacists with decades of experience in the care of patients on opioid agonist therapy and opioid prescriptions. They will provide you with guidance on what steps you can take to protect patients.
Speaker: Mark Barnes & Harsit Patel
Bio: Mark, a graduate from MUN and Dalhousie universities, is a pharmacist and care of Respect RX, pharmacies that provide themselves on providing dignified, stigma dash free pharmacy services to those with complex mental health and substance misuse issues. Mark’s work on the opioid crisis led to the development and implementation of a fentanyl patch return program to help curb diversion of this deadly drug to the streets. In 2015 this fentanyl “patch for patch” return program became Ontario law and is now a practice standard for the College of Physicians and surgeons of Ontario and the Ontario College of pharmacists. Mark is also heavily involved in addiction education. Using his new website naloxonecare.com, he delivers seminars for various community groups, pharmacy organisations, and other medical professions on this topic. Since being asked to be a regional champion for the Ontario Ministry of Health publicly funded naloxone program, Respect RX has trained over 65,000 people and conducted over 700 community-based seminars on proper use of naloxone and the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose. Marks community work and advocacy has resulted in many awards: “Health is a community affair” award in 2013, Memorial University School of pharmacy’s 2014 alumni of the year award, a prestigious national pharmacy “commitment to care” award in 2014 for addiction disease state management and in September of 2019 he was recognized by the city of Ottawa as a Healthy Communities champion for his dedication to promoting overdose prevention
Harsit is a graduate of the University of Florida – PharmD program (2015) and previous graduate of the and previous graduate of the University of Toronto – Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program (2007). Harsit has 15 years of experience in academia as a program developer and lecturer to pharmacy assistants, technicians, and advanced care paramedics. He has a background in community pharmacy practice, as well as hospital pharmacy as an emergency medicine clinical pharmacist. In a ground-breaking movement, Harsit as an emergency department (ED) pharmacist in an inner-city hospital, has worked to remove barriers and stigma surrounding opioid misuse, and pioneered a program for direct supply of naloxone kits and harm reduction education for at risk patients prior to leaving the ED. Through activism with the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ministry of Health, he was able to advocate for funding broadly, across Ontario hospital EDs to distribute naloxone kits to patients who required them. Harsit received the Hamilton Health Sciences –Pharmacy Practice Award of Excellence in 2017 for his ongoing work for better access and care for patients who have experienced opioid harm.
This conference is accredited by the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy.
Exhibitors
If you are interested in becoming an advertiser, sponsor or exhibitor at the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s 2022 virtual conference, Unite 2 Ignite,
please contact Yuliana Paspalovski at [email protected].
PROGRAM
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Welcome Message |
| 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Opening Keynote Speaker with Q&A Session – Jessica Holmes |
| 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. | Open Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
| 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Concurrent Education Sessions |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Virtual Coffee Break/Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
| 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Concurrent Education Sessions |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Virtual Lunch/Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
| 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Education Session/Demo Rooms/Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
| 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Education Session |
| 2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | Virtual Coffee Break/Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
| 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Concurrent Education Sessions |
| 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Open Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
| 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Closing Keynote Speaker with Q&A Session – Nav Bhatia |
| 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Open Networking Lounge/Exhibit Hall |
Sponsors
If you are interested in becoming an advertiser, sponsor or exhibitor at the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s 2022 virtual conference, Unite 2 Ignite,
please contact Yuliana Paspalovski at [email protected].
CONTACT US
Cancellation Policy: All changes and/or cancellations must be submitted in writing to [email protected] before May 13, 2022. All changes and/or cancellations made on or before May 13, 2022 will be subject to a 25% administrative fee. All changes and/or cancellations made on or after May 13, 2022 is not subject to any refund.