Pharmaceutical Innovation at the MUHC : 2026 Innovation Fund Recipients

Congratulations to Patrick Deschênes and Caren Jabamikos, two pharmacists from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), who are among the recipients of the 2026 Innovation Fund from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy. They have been awarded the “Move the Needle” grant for their project “Preparing pharmacists for Bill 67: Practical training for respiratory physical examination”.

The recent adoption of Bill 67 in Québec significantly expands pharmacists’ prescribing authority for common ailments and chronic conditions. However, many pharmacists have had limited formal training in key assessment skills such as the gathering of a medical history, physical examination, and clinical evaluation. Continuing education for these skill sets for community pharmacists is limited.

This project includes the development of a practical, accredited training program focused on respiratory physical examination skills, combining online learning with hands-on workshops led by clinicians. The project team will train an initial cohort of 20 to 30 pharmacists and measure changes in participants’ self-reported confidence. It will create a train-the-trainer module to facilitate expansion as demand grows and frame the program to enable its adoption in other provinces.

Congratulations to Patrick and Caren for the acknowledgement of their work and for their contribution to pharmacy innovation at the MUHC!