Becoming a pharmacist in Alberta

Learn more about the experts participating in this event.

Brittany Zelmer, BSc Pharm, APA, CTH

Brittany Zelmer started her career as a pharmacy student with Safeway in Edmonton, Alberta. She continued with Safeway upon graduation and licensure as a pharmacist and worked in several locations in Edmonton and greater area. She pursued her injection certification, additional prescribing authority (APA) and Certificate in Travel Health to ensure that she could apply her full scope of practice to her various patients’ needs. A few years later, she became a Pharmacy Manager, then District Pharmacy Manager and then the Lead for Alberta Pharmacy Operations with Sobeys. In her spare time, she joined the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA) Leadership cohort which eventually led her to pursue a position on the Board of Directors with RxA. She has spent the last year as President of the board and is now in the Past President role. Her passion for advocacy led her to the national position she holds now as Manager of Pharmacy Professional Affairs which focuses on advocacy and supporting professional development for pharmacy teams in all provinces.

Elizabeth Amina Ochigbo, FCPharm

Elizabeth Amina Ochigbo is a Pharmacy leader and Staff Pharmacist with Rexall Pharmacy Group in Calgary, with 19 years of expertise in Clinical practice, Regulatory oversight, Mentorship, and public health. She is a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists from the Faculty of Social and Administration Pharmacy. She previously served as a Pharmacist Regulator Lead in Nigerian State, guiding professional standards and regulatory operations.

Elizabeth is a recognized mentor and educator, serving as a Clinical Preceptor for the University of Alberta since 2021. She was the recipient of the 2021-22 and 2023-24 Preceptor Recognition award from University of Alberta. She also provides training for Pharmacy Assistants in various colleges within Calgary, she is a certified Injector, PracID holder and has Additional Prescribing Authorization (APA).

Hadeel Abed, B.Sc. Pharm

Hadeel Abed is a Clinical Pharmacist with a master’s degree and is currently completing her Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Alberta. She has served as a Clinical Pharmacist in community settings since 2014 and instructor at Bow Valley College since 2016.

Kaye Moran , BScPharm, ACPR

Kaye Moran completed a BSc. Pharm at the University of Alberta and a hospital pharmacy residency with the Calgary Health Region. From there, Kaye began a 10-year pharmacy career working in the emerging area of primary care. This included experience in Ontario and Alberta as well as fulfilling roles as a clinician and administrative leader. Kaye then held management positions with Alberta Health Services, first within ambulatory programs and later managing pharmacy technician practice leaders. Throughout her career, Kaye has been an active contributor to her profession through involvement in various committees, most notably as serving as Council president of the Alberta College of Pharmacists (now the Alberta College of Pharmacy) and President of the board of directors of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada. Kaye joined the senior leadership team at the ACP in 2017 as deputy registrar and is currently responsible for the registration, licensure, and competence departments.

Kelsey Skromeda , BA

Kelsey Skromeda is the Director of the IPG Mentorship and Integration Project at the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), a national initiative that provides internationally educated pharmacists with learning opportunities, mentorship and work experience as they work toward licensure in Canada. Since joining CPhA in 2009, Kelsey has held roles in continuing professional development, policy and research and multistakeholder initiatives focused on supporting and advancing the profession of pharmacy. Although not a pharmacist herself, Kelsey has spent her career working to help the profession grow and thrive in a changing health care landscape.

Maha Radwan, Bpharm

Maha Radwan is an ACP-registered pharmacist with over 15 years of experience in community practice, pharmacy operations, and healthcare service delivery. She earned her Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences from Cairo University and began her career internationally in the pharmaceutical industry, gaining experience in sales, marketing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing with multinational companies. Since moving to Canada, Maha has held progressive leadership roles with Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw, serving as a patient-focused pharmacist, pharmacy manager, and licensee, leading high-performing teams recognized for operational excellence and patient-centred care. Certified in Additional Prescribing Authority, injections, and multiple professional certifications in Leadership & Process Optimization, she is passionate about advancing community-based clinical services and improving access to high-quality pharmacy care across Alberta.

Rachel Malahay

Rachel Malahay is a career coach with 15+ years of helping internationally educated pharmacists navigate their journey to Canadian practice. She coordinates three study groups for Directions for Immigrants that help candidates prepare for their national exams and navigate each step with confidence. A compassionate coach, Rachel promotes positive mindset, life balance, and the pursuit of becoming competent, successful Canadian pharmacists.

Tara Leslie, BSP, PharmD, MEd, BCOP, FCAPhO

Dr. Tara Leslie is the Director of Post Professional Programs with The University of Alberta, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. As part of this role, Tara provides academic leadership for the Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice (CCPP) program, a comprehensive bridging program for internationally educated pharmacist graduates (IEPGs). CCPP builds upon and further develops the knowledge and skills of IEPGs to prepare them to be confident and competent practitioners in Alberta or elsewhere in Canada. Tara completed her undergraduate pharmacy degree at the University of Saskatchewan, earned her PharmD from the University of Toronto, and obtained a Master of Education from the University of Alberta. While her clinical background is primarily in oncology, she has focused on academic work for the past seven years.

Tolu Okubote, Mpharm Rph

Tolu is an international pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacist with Alberta Health Services, specializing in the healthcare needs of the geriatric population. In addition to her clinical practice, she serves as the Director of Operations for Alberta on the Board of the Black Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (BPPC). In this leadership role, she drives initiatives promoting equity for Black pharmacy professionals and enhancing healthcare access through advocacy, community outreach, and mentorship programs. She is also a Co-Lead for the BPPC Skin Care Series, which addresses skin conditions prevalent in Black and Brown communities and actively participates in the BPPC mentorship program working group. Tolu is passionate about advancing pharmacy within the Black community and advocating for safe medication use, especially among elderly populations. She is equally committed to mental health initiatives that thoughtfully incorporate faith and cultural context, aiming to empower individuals and foster meaningful change in healthcare.