UW prof named Canadian pharmacist of the year

Dr. Kelly Grindrod (Photo/CPhA).

KITCHENER — A University of Waterloo professor who created an online education platform has been named Canadian Pharmacist of the Year by the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA).

Dr. Kelly Grindrod was nominated last year for the award, but the association says the pandemic has highlighted how valuable her work is.

“Her innovative approach to pharmacist education makes an incredible difference to her students and to practicing pharmacists around the world,” says CPhA chair Christine Hrudka in a news release.

Dr. Grindrod is the creator of an innovative game-based web platform called Pharmacy5in5, which is designed to educate pharmacists and support their evolving practices.

“Pharmacists need support to navigate the many challenges facing the health care system right now,” she says

Using multimedia like video and quizzes, the platform also includes content that highlights the critical information pharmacists need to care for their patients during the pandemic.

“When COVID arrived, we quickly saw how critical pharmacies were to a healthy community,” she says.

In addition to being a professor, Dr. Grindrod also mentors students and provides care to vulnerable members of the population as a primary care pharmacist at the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre.