About OPA
The Ontario Pharmacists Association is committed to evolving the pharmacy profession and advocating for excellence in practice and patient care.
Advocating for excellence in practice and care
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Culture
OPA’s mission and vision are supported by strong foundational values that are proudly upheld by OPA leadership and team members. OPA is proud of the profession and the work we do to support it. Our staff and members are inspired to help pharmacy professionals improve healthcare for their patients and evolve the pharmacy profession.
Agility
Sensing and responding to change
Collaboration
Working together as one team to achieve our goal
Courage
Being able to face difficulty and challenge conventional thinking
Excellence
Consistently delivering quality of service
Innovation
Being open to explore new and bold ideas
Integrity
Being transparent and holding true to what we believe is honest and ethical
Respect
Listening, supporting and communicating directly and openly
Driving the healthcare sector
The Landscape of Pharmacy in Ontario
OPA Governance
Committees
Committees play an important role at the Ontario Pharmacists Association by supporting the work of our Board and helping to achieve its strategic plan. The Association has three Board standing committees, four working group committees, and one task force. Each provides expertise on key initiatives and activities of the Association. To learn more about the function […]
Justin Bates
Justin J. Bates began his career in the advertising and marketing business before transitioning into the health insurance industry where he worked as a consultant for a pharmacy benefit manager and as a principal in a health insurance brokerage. He has spent more than 15 years advocating on behalf of the pharmacy sector in various capacities including as Chief Executive Officer of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies). In his current role as Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, he brings a strategic, collaborative and transformative leadership approach while advocating and advancing the pharmacy profession.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology, Justin holds a negotiation certificate from the Harvard Negotiation Institute and has completed the Institute of Corporate Directors program and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management Executive Program: Not for Profit Governance Essentials. He also serves as Vice President of the Board Directors for the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.
Jen Belcher
Jen Belcher is a highly accomplished pharmacist with a diverse range of experience, having worked in community and hospital settings since graduating from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy in 2013. Her leadership skills were recognized early on when she was appointed as the Eastern Ontario Representative on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA), and she later took on the role of Chair during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jen’s impressive track record has now led her to the position of Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Member Relations at OPA, where she leverages her expertise in clinical practice, pharmacy operations, and advocacy to lead the association’s important work.
Angeline Ng
Angeline Ng is a graduate of the University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and a Registered Pharmacist with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.
She has been a proud member of the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) since the start of her pharmacy career as a pharmacy student and has been involved in the association in different capacities over the years, including as a member of various committees and on the Board of Directors. In her current role she is responsible for helping to advance the profession through advocacy and supporting excellence in practice and patient care.
Angeline has worked in a variety of different pharmacy settings including community pharmacy, long-term care pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and teaching. She brings to the leadership team diversity and new perspectives on the changing landscape of pharmacy practice.
Amedeo Zottola
Amedeo Zottola joined the Ontario Pharmacists Association in 1995. He is the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior Vice President and is responsible for all accounting, revenue, fiscal and insurance issues for the organization. In this role, Amedeo works collaboratively with the organizational leadership team and the Board of Directors to ensure the objectives set out annually are implemented at the staff level.
He is the lead staff liaison on OPA’s Insurance Committee and Audit and Finance Committee, and in his role as CFO, he manages all confidential issues such as materials and contract negotiations.
Amedeo is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Business Management from Ryerson.
Hitesh Pandya
Hitesh Pandya joined the OPA Board of Directors as the District M (now Central Ontario – Metro Toronto) Representative in June 2016.
Since 2001, Hitesh has operated pharmacies in the Greater Toronto Area; he is currently an Associate Owner at the Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and College in Toronto.
Hitesh is a member of the Insurance Committee at OPA, and a past member of the ICRC and Discipline Committee at the Ontario College of Pharmacists. He has been chair of the Shoppers Drug Mart PEERS committee, which is responsible for advocating and representing Shoppers Drug Mart franchisees in their business and professional interests, from 2009-16. In this role, he represented more than 400 Associate Owners.
He is passionate in supporting advocacy for the profession, and bringing pharmacists together, and is actively involved in the education of undergraduate pharmacy students as an EPE and APPE preceptor.
Jaspreet Chager
Jaspreet has dedicated the past 18 years of her career to supporting pharmacies with the implementation of patient services. Born and raised in Toronto, Jaspreet graduated from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto in 2004. Through her experience working in various settings including community, hospital, and industry, Jaspreet has gained insights into the pharmacy community which has also deepened her understanding of patient care. Additionally, Jaspreet helps pharmacists navigate the profession’s dynamic landscape and implement patient-focused services. She also has a strong passion to support future pharmacists and the viability of the healthcare system. Jaspreet works closely with students at both Pharmacy schools in Ontario and acts as an APPE preceptor.
Michael Cheung
Michael graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1990 and currently operates two Shoppers Drug Mart on Yonge Street in Toronto.
Michael served as a Board member on the British Columbia Pharmacists Association (BCPhA) representing Victoria, B.C. and is also serving on the Rosedale BIA Board and a Condo Board. He has previously served on OCP’s Discipline Committee, chaired OPA’s Human Resources and Compensation Committee and is a current member of the Audit and Finance Committee.
Michael has been a Peers Rep on Shoppers Drug Mart PEERS committee for 4 terms and is active in the profession as an EPE/APPE preceptor for UofToronto and UofWaterloo as well as PEBC OCSE/OSPE in various capacities.
Michael was the recipient of BCPhA’s Award of Achievement in 1997 and Shoppers Drug Mart Associate of the Year Award for the Greater Toronto Area in 2017 and 2018.
Andrew Hamilton
Andrew began his career as a staff pharmacist and later transitioned to a designated manager at an independent pharmacy in Norfolk County. After four years he relocated to Eastern Ontario and now serves as a staff pharmacist in an independent pharmacy that services local retirement homes. Fueled by his devotion to learning and patient care, Andrew enjoys applying his understanding of chronic disease management to help improve patients’ understanding of their health. His strength lies in connecting with patients and establishing trust. When he is not busy with work, he enjoys volunteering with local organizations. Andrew is a 2015 graduate from the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
Tim Langford
Tim Langford is a third generation pharmacist and president of the Langford Group of Pharmacies which operates several community pharmacies across Ontario. Tim is recognized as a dedicated healthcare professional by his local community, and a proud recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Award for Developing Naloxone Strategy.
Tim also serves on the McKesson National Advisory Board of which he has been a member since 2005.
Janet McCutchon
Janet was previously a pharmacist and the co-owner of an independent pharmacy for 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba where she received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. Janet was elected to the OPA board from 2005-2011 and was Chair in 2010. Additionally, she served on the Membership, Governance and Audit (Chair) Committees, sat on the Pharmacy Council as well as the NIHB Advisory Panel. During her 16-year tenure on a credit union board, she graduated from their director training and has completed advanced training from the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors. She has a range of business experience and has been involved with three successful mergers.
Kristen Watt
Kristen Watt is the Owner and Pharmacist at Kristen’s Pharmacy in Southampton. Graduating from the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy in 2010, Kristen has worked in many rural pharmacy settings including corporate and independent community pharmacy, corporate pharmacy management and as a long term care clinical consultant. Kristen’s Pharmacy grew with Kristen consulting for the local residential hospice, the palliative care physicians group and partnerships with Saugeen Ojibway First Nation. Kristen was a vocal advocate for her rural community during the COVID-19 vaccine roll out as part of the Grey Bruce vaccine distribution task force and was the first pharmacy in all of Bruce County to offer Astra Zeneca in April 2021. Since then, the team at Kristen’s Pharmacy has administered over 6,700 COVID-19 vaccines including 1,000 in one day at a drive-up clinic. Kristen has also spent time contributing to many documents created by the Focused Covid Communications team, a group of like-minded pharmacists, physicians, researchers and public health experts who came together during the first days of considering mixing and matching vaccines following concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine. During all of this, Kristen’s Pharmacy grew into a local hub for all things COVID and pharmacy – dispensing, vaccines, testing and most importantly, clinical cognitive services. In late 2021, Kristen’s Pharmacy underwent a full internal renovation yielding three office rooms that can be used for patient appointments. Kristen has pulled her pharmacists from the dispensing area to work entirely in these offices. This has set the stage for the next stage of community pharmacy practice – minor ailments, and what Kristen hopes to see in the future: autonomous prescribing. This model relies heavily on pharmacy technicians in their full scope. Kristen has contributed to many pandemic-related webinars with the OPA, CPhA, College of Family Physicians of Ontario and more. Kristen also guest lectures on palliative care and community pharmacy business and management at the Universities of Waterloo, Toronto and Western University. She takes on co-op students from Waterloo and has moved her pharmacy team of four technicians, three assistants and two drivers to a four-day work week to provide some semblance of work-life balance amongst all the chaos. Kristen has received many awards and accolades, in 2018 she was recognized by the community with the local chamber of commerce customer service award, and she graced the cover of Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine to highlight the novel use of pharmacy technicians in her practice. Kristen has also been nominated for the 2022 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. She plans to round out 2022 with a medical aid tour to Zambia where she hopes to provide care to over 800 children at a remote school. When not trying to effect change in the pharmacy landscape, Kristen is a mom of two active young boys and the wife of a weekend warrior and enjoys a glass of prosecco while tweeting as @PharmacistMama.
Tim Brady
Tim Brady was elected as Vice-Chair in 2019. In June 2016, he was elected to the OPA Board of Directors as District N Representative. He has been a member of the OPA Insurance Committee since 2013. He was also a member of the Ontario College of Pharmacists Accreditation Committee in previous years, and has been a Board member with the Essex County Pharmacists Association since 2005 (he served as president from 2010-12).
A graduate of Ferris State University with a BS in Pharmacy, Tim is the pharmacist owner of two independent pharmacies in Essex County. Prior to opening his own pharmacy, Tim worked as a Shoppers Drug Mart Associate for a number of years. During this time, he was also a member of the United Association of Pharmacist Franchisees Board, which advocates for and support Shoppers Drug Mart associates/owners.
Tim was the lead pharmacist in the “We Can Quit” program for smoking cessation, and a member of the 2011 Rotary District 6400 Vocational Training Team to East Timor.
Candace Chartier
As the former Chief Executive Officer at the Ontario Long-Term Care Association, Candace is a visionary registered nurse-turned healthcare system advocate and senior executive.
She has been a tireless proponent for transparency and open communication and understands first-hand the needs of an intricate healthcare system and the administrative, financial and policy environment in which they operate.
Candace is very familiar with patient care and understands the increasingly complex care required to meet their needs.
Having served on numerous advisory, implementation and operational committees at the provincial, regional and local levels, Candace is exceptionally skilled and experienced in building relationships with government and healthcare stakeholders.
Candace’s expertise is a welcome addition to the pharmacy profession.
Donnie Edwards
Over the last 15 years, Donnie Edwards has been involved with OPA in a number of capacities including as interim CEO, past chair, chair of OPA’s External Relations Committee and representative of the Owners Advisory Council (Independent Caucus). During this time, Donnie initiated OPA’s Drugs of Addiction strategy, and in 2015, he received the lifetime achievement award from OPA.
Donnie has also been a member of the Provincial Methadone Maintenance Task Force, and the Narcotics Monitoring Working Group. He has served as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor and Regional Clinical Coordinator for the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, and is a co-owner and operator at Boggio Family of Pharmacies.
Donnie has been involved in the United Way, AIDS Niagara and other local associations. He has published several education articles on diabetes, hypertension, pain management and addiction. In his spare time, Donnie enjoys coaching local basketball teams.
Gurmeet Ahluwalia
Gurmeet Ahluwalia is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in the business, including roles at Citigroup and Scotiabank in New York and Toronto. He has a track record of leading teams and driving transformation initiatives, resulting in significant cost savings and revenue growth. In his current role as Managing Partner at StratExLead, Gurmeet advises clients across industries and geographies on transformation and program leadership. Most recently, he helped launch and expand a new business for Canada Post, acting as the interim Head of Operations for the new Financial Services business line. Gurmeet has held board roles at various organizations in government (Statistics Canada), non-profit (Seva Food Bank), and corporate sectors (Moka.ai, Citi Trust Company Canada).
Rachel Laurion
Rachel Laurion is a Partner at Fasken, an innovative and progressive international full service firm. Rachel is a zealous litigator who maintains a broad dispute resolution practice. She has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario and Rachel has also acted as counsel for participants in the Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry and the Red Hill Valley Parkway Inquiry. Additionally, Rachel has served as independent legal counsel to the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Driven by a passion for helping people, Rachel has spent part of her career advocating for at-risk individuals in Ontario and New York City. She also regularly volunteers as Duty Counsel at the Toronto Small Claims Court where she assists unrepresented litigants as part of the Pro Bono Law Ontario Duty Counsel Project.
Rachel completed her Bachelor of Arts at New York University, her Masters of Science in Social Work at Columbia University, and her Juris Doctor at Western University.
Saeideh Mohajer
Saeideh is a Director in the EY-Parthenon Strategy practice of EY based in Toronto.
A practitioner of design thinking, Saeideh is passionate about designing impact strategies that help organization solve for their most pressing challenges by delivering innovative solutions with measurable outcomes.
Saeideh brings over 15 years of experience designing and delivering growth strategies within the health care and financial services sector for public, private and non-profit clients. She is deeply passionate about helping organizations modernize and transform their corporate strategies into impact strategies with innovation and ESG embedded into the DNA of the corporate culture creating long-term value.
David Liu
David obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Toronto. He first worked as a clinical hospital pharmacist before taking on pharmacy informatics and managerial and leadership roles. Also, he has a strong interest in population and public health, which has led him to complete a Master in Public Health degree from Queen’s University.
David joined the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) to both learn and contribute to the pharmacy profession. At CSHP Ontario Branch, he had previously been a Chapter Chair, a member of the Education Committee, and now a Presidential Officer, overseeing the External Portfolio.
Deb Saltmarche
Deb Saltmarche became past chair of the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s Board of Directors in May 2015. She joined the Board in 2012 as the Ontario Chain Drug Association Representative, and has since chaired the Audit and Finance Committee and the eHealth Working Group, and been a member of the Audit and Finance Committee and the Human Resource and Compensation Committee. In 2015-16 she chaired the Governance and Nominating Committee and the eHealth Task Force in addition to her responsibilities as past chair of the Board.
An experienced executive level pharmacy professional, Deb has worked in a broad range of environments, including provincial and national advocacy associations, national pharmacy organizations, corporate retail, pharmacy information technology, and retail pharmacy management. She has practice experience in England and Canada, in independent and corporate retail pharmacy, and hospital pharmacy. She specializes in creating strategic and tactical direction, introducing and championing change, and finding and implementing solutions that meet the disparate needs of multiple players in complex situations. She has broad strategic perspective and experience in policy development, and in positioning pharmacy and pharmacists within the healthcare system.
Deb has provided consultation services to a wide range of clients including national associations, retail pharmacy organizations, brand and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, suppliers to the pharmacy industry, and independent consultancy firms. Since November 2011, Deb has been with Shoppers Drug Mart, where she currently holds the position of senior director, Professional Affairs. Her most recent prior positions include vice-president, Pharmacy Affairs at the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, vice-president, Policy and Professional Practice at the Ontario Pharmacists Association, and vice-president, Rx Canada.
Deb is a past Board member of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.
Hitesh Pandya
Hitesh Pandya joined the OPA Board of Directors as the District M (now Central Ontario – Metro Toronto) Representative in June 2016.
Since 2001, Hitesh has operated pharmacies in the Greater Toronto Area; he is currently an Associate Owner at the Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and College in Toronto.
Hitesh is a member of the Insurance Committee at OPA, and a past member of the ICRC and Discipline Committee at the Ontario College of Pharmacists. He has been chair of the Shoppers Drug Mart PEERS committee, which is responsible for advocating and representing Shoppers Drug Mart franchisees in their business and professional interests, from 2009-16. In this role, he represented more than 400 Associate Owners.
He is passionate in supporting advocacy for the profession, and bringing pharmacists together, and is actively involved in the education of undergraduate pharmacy students as an EPE and APPE preceptor.
Jaspreet Chager
Jaspreet has dedicated the past 18 years of her career to supporting pharmacies with the implementation of patient services. Born and raised in Toronto, Jaspreet graduated from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto in 2004. Through her experience working in various settings including community, hospital, and industry, Jaspreet has gained insights into the pharmacy community which has also deepened her understanding of patient care. Additionally, Jaspreet helps pharmacists navigate the profession’s dynamic landscape and implement patient-focused services. She also has a strong passion to support future pharmacists and the viability of the healthcare system. Jaspreet works closely with students at both Pharmacy schools in Ontario and acts as an APPE preceptor.
Michael Cheung
Michael graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1990 and currently operates two Shoppers Drug Mart on Yonge Street in Toronto.
Michael served as a Board member on the British Columbia Pharmacists Association (BCPhA) representing Victoria, B.C. and is also serving on the Rosedale BIA Board and a Condo Board. He has previously served on OCP’s Discipline Committee, chaired OPA’s Human Resources and Compensation Committee and is a current member of the Audit and Finance Committee.
Michael has been a Peers Rep on Shoppers Drug Mart PEERS committee for 4 terms and is active in the profession as an EPE/APPE preceptor for UofToronto and UofWaterloo as well as PEBC OCSE/OSPE in various capacities.
Michael was the recipient of BCPhA’s Award of Achievement in 1997 and Shoppers Drug Mart Associate of the Year Award for the Greater Toronto Area in 2017 and 2018.
Andrew Hamilton
Andrew began his career as a staff pharmacist and later transitioned to a designated manager at an independent pharmacy in Norfolk County. After four years he relocated to Eastern Ontario and now serves as a staff pharmacist in an independent pharmacy that services local retirement homes. Fueled by his devotion to learning and patient care, Andrew enjoys applying his understanding of chronic disease management to help improve patients’ understanding of their health. His strength lies in connecting with patients and establishing trust. When he is not busy with work, he enjoys volunteering with local organizations. Andrew is a 2015 graduate from the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
Tim Langford
Tim Langford is a third generation pharmacist and president of the Langford Group of Pharmacies which operates several community pharmacies across Ontario. Tim is recognized as a dedicated healthcare professional by his local community, and a proud recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Award for Developing Naloxone Strategy.
Tim also serves on the McKesson National Advisory Board of which he has been a member since 2005.
Janet McCutchon
Janet was previously a pharmacist and the co-owner of an independent pharmacy for 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba where she received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. Janet was elected to the OPA board from 2005-2011 and was Chair in 2010. Additionally, she served on the Membership, Governance and Audit (Chair) Committees, sat on the Pharmacy Council as well as the NIHB Advisory Panel. During her 16-year tenure on a credit union board, she graduated from their director training and has completed advanced training from the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors. She has a range of business experience and has been involved with three successful mergers.
Kristen Watt
Kristen Watt is the Owner and Pharmacist at Kristen’s Pharmacy in Southampton. Graduating from the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy in 2010, Kristen has worked in many rural pharmacy settings including corporate and independent community pharmacy, corporate pharmacy management and as a long term care clinical consultant. Kristen’s Pharmacy grew with Kristen consulting for the local residential hospice, the palliative care physicians group and partnerships with Saugeen Ojibway First Nation. Kristen was a vocal advocate for her rural community during the COVID-19 vaccine roll out as part of the Grey Bruce vaccine distribution task force and was the first pharmacy in all of Bruce County to offer Astra Zeneca in April 2021. Since then, the team at Kristen’s Pharmacy has administered over 6,700 COVID-19 vaccines including 1,000 in one day at a drive-up clinic. Kristen has also spent time contributing to many documents created by the Focused Covid Communications team, a group of like-minded pharmacists, physicians, researchers and public health experts who came together during the first days of considering mixing and matching vaccines following concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine. During all of this, Kristen’s Pharmacy grew into a local hub for all things COVID and pharmacy – dispensing, vaccines, testing and most importantly, clinical cognitive services. In late 2021, Kristen’s Pharmacy underwent a full internal renovation yielding three office rooms that can be used for patient appointments. Kristen has pulled her pharmacists from the dispensing area to work entirely in these offices. This has set the stage for the next stage of community pharmacy practice – minor ailments, and what Kristen hopes to see in the future: autonomous prescribing. This model relies heavily on pharmacy technicians in their full scope. Kristen has contributed to many pandemic-related webinars with the OPA, CPhA, College of Family Physicians of Ontario and more. Kristen also guest lectures on palliative care and community pharmacy business and management at the Universities of Waterloo, Toronto and Western University. She takes on co-op students from Waterloo and has moved her pharmacy team of four technicians, three assistants and two drivers to a four-day work week to provide some semblance of work-life balance amongst all the chaos. Kristen has received many awards and accolades, in 2018 she was recognized by the community with the local chamber of commerce customer service award, and she graced the cover of Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine to highlight the novel use of pharmacy technicians in her practice. Kristen has also been nominated for the 2022 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. She plans to round out 2022 with a medical aid tour to Zambia where she hopes to provide care to over 800 children at a remote school. When not trying to effect change in the pharmacy landscape, Kristen is a mom of two active young boys and the wife of a weekend warrior and enjoys a glass of prosecco while tweeting as @PharmacistMama.
Tim Brady
Tim Brady was elected as Vice-Chair in 2019. In June 2016, he was elected to the OPA Board of Directors as District N Representative. He has been a member of the OPA Insurance Committee since 2013. He was also a member of the Ontario College of Pharmacists Accreditation Committee in previous years, and has been a Board member with the Essex County Pharmacists Association since 2005 (he served as president from 2010-12).
A graduate of Ferris State University with a BS in Pharmacy, Tim is the pharmacist owner of two independent pharmacies in Essex County. Prior to opening his own pharmacy, Tim worked as a Shoppers Drug Mart Associate for a number of years. During this time, he was also a member of the United Association of Pharmacist Franchisees Board, which advocates for and support Shoppers Drug Mart associates/owners.
Tim was the lead pharmacist in the “We Can Quit” program for smoking cessation, and a member of the 2011 Rotary District 6400 Vocational Training Team to East Timor.
Candace Chartier
As the former Chief Executive Officer at the Ontario Long-Term Care Association, Candace is a visionary registered nurse-turned healthcare system advocate and senior executive.
She has been a tireless proponent for transparency and open communication and understands first-hand the needs of an intricate healthcare system and the administrative, financial and policy environment in which they operate.
Candace is very familiar with patient care and understands the increasingly complex care required to meet their needs.
Having served on numerous advisory, implementation and operational committees at the provincial, regional and local levels, Candace is exceptionally skilled and experienced in building relationships with government and healthcare stakeholders.
Candace’s expertise is a welcome addition to the pharmacy profession.
Donnie Edwards
Over the last 15 years, Donnie Edwards has been involved with OPA in a number of capacities including as interim CEO, past chair, chair of OPA’s External Relations Committee and representative of the Owners Advisory Council (Independent Caucus). During this time, Donnie initiated OPA’s Drugs of Addiction strategy, and in 2015, he received the lifetime achievement award from OPA.
Donnie has also been a member of the Provincial Methadone Maintenance Task Force, and the Narcotics Monitoring Working Group. He has served as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor and Regional Clinical Coordinator for the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, and is a co-owner and operator at Boggio Family of Pharmacies.
Donnie has been involved in the United Way, AIDS Niagara and other local associations. He has published several education articles on diabetes, hypertension, pain management and addiction. In his spare time, Donnie enjoys coaching local basketball teams.
Gurmeet Ahluwalia
Gurmeet Ahluwalia is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in the business, including roles at Citigroup and Scotiabank in New York and Toronto. He has a track record of leading teams and driving transformation initiatives, resulting in significant cost savings and revenue growth. In his current role as Managing Partner at StratExLead, Gurmeet advises clients across industries and geographies on transformation and program leadership. Most recently, he helped launch and expand a new business for Canada Post, acting as the interim Head of Operations for the new Financial Services business line. Gurmeet has held board roles at various organizations in government (Statistics Canada), non-profit (Seva Food Bank), and corporate sectors (Moka.ai, Citi Trust Company Canada).
Rachel Laurion
Rachel Laurion is a Partner at Fasken, an innovative and progressive international full service firm. Rachel is a zealous litigator who maintains a broad dispute resolution practice. She has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario and Rachel has also acted as counsel for participants in the Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry and the Red Hill Valley Parkway Inquiry. Additionally, Rachel has served as independent legal counsel to the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Driven by a passion for helping people, Rachel has spent part of her career advocating for at-risk individuals in Ontario and New York City. She also regularly volunteers as Duty Counsel at the Toronto Small Claims Court where she assists unrepresented litigants as part of the Pro Bono Law Ontario Duty Counsel Project.
Rachel completed her Bachelor of Arts at New York University, her Masters of Science in Social Work at Columbia University, and her Juris Doctor at Western University.
Saeideh Mohajer
Saeideh is a Director in the EY-Parthenon Strategy practice of EY based in Toronto.
A practitioner of design thinking, Saeideh is passionate about designing impact strategies that help organization solve for their most pressing challenges by delivering innovative solutions with measurable outcomes.
Saeideh brings over 15 years of experience designing and delivering growth strategies within the health care and financial services sector for public, private and non-profit clients. She is deeply passionate about helping organizations modernize and transform their corporate strategies into impact strategies with innovation and ESG embedded into the DNA of the corporate culture creating long-term value.
David Liu
David obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Toronto. He first worked as a clinical hospital pharmacist before taking on pharmacy informatics and managerial and leadership roles. Also, he has a strong interest in population and public health, which has led him to complete a Master in Public Health degree from Queen’s University.
David joined the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) to both learn and contribute to the pharmacy profession. At CSHP Ontario Branch, he had previously been a Chapter Chair, a member of the Education Committee, and now a Presidential Officer, overseeing the External Portfolio.
Deb Saltmarche
Deb Saltmarche became past chair of the Ontario Pharmacists Association’s Board of Directors in May 2015. She joined the Board in 2012 as the Ontario Chain Drug Association Representative, and has since chaired the Audit and Finance Committee and the eHealth Working Group, and been a member of the Audit and Finance Committee and the Human Resource and Compensation Committee. In 2015-16 she chaired the Governance and Nominating Committee and the eHealth Task Force in addition to her responsibilities as past chair of the Board.
An experienced executive level pharmacy professional, Deb has worked in a broad range of environments, including provincial and national advocacy associations, national pharmacy organizations, corporate retail, pharmacy information technology, and retail pharmacy management. She has practice experience in England and Canada, in independent and corporate retail pharmacy, and hospital pharmacy. She specializes in creating strategic and tactical direction, introducing and championing change, and finding and implementing solutions that meet the disparate needs of multiple players in complex situations. She has broad strategic perspective and experience in policy development, and in positioning pharmacy and pharmacists within the healthcare system.
Deb has provided consultation services to a wide range of clients including national associations, retail pharmacy organizations, brand and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, suppliers to the pharmacy industry, and independent consultancy firms. Since November 2011, Deb has been with Shoppers Drug Mart, where she currently holds the position of senior director, Professional Affairs. Her most recent prior positions include vice-president, Pharmacy Affairs at the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, vice-president, Policy and Professional Practice at the Ontario Pharmacists Association, and vice-president, Rx Canada.
Deb is a past Board member of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy.
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