CPhA appoints Dr. Sadaf Faisal as Chief Pharmacist Officer

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sadaf Faisal as Chief Pharmacist Officer (CPO), a senior leadership role that reflects the evolving scope and impact of pharmacy practice in Canada and will help strengthen the profession’s national voice within the health-care system.

Dr. Faisal is already a key member of CPhA’s leadership team, most recently serving as Acting Vice President, Public and Professional Affairs, where she has been leading national initiatives focused on advancing pharmacy practice and supporting pharmacists with the tools and resources they need to support their growing role in primary care.

In her expanded role as Chief Pharmacist Officer, Dr. Faisal will serve as CPhA’s senior clinical and practice advisor and represent the pharmacy community and the association on advisory committees, at conferences, in the media and with a variety of other partners and decision makers. This role reflects the growing importance of clinical leadership in advancing pharmacy practice, policy and system integration across Canada.

“Pharmacists are increasingly being recognized as essential care providers within Canada’s health-care system, and Dr. Faisal has been instrumental in helping support that evolution through her leadership at CPhA,” says Glen Doucet, CEO, CPhA. “Her experience, insight and commitment to the profession will help advance pharmacy’s role in improving access, sustainability and patient outcomes across the country.”

A licensed pharmacist with more than 20 years of experience across community, long-term care and primary care settings, Dr. Faisal holds a PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Waterloo. Through her work at CPhA, she has helped lead initiatives that equip pharmacists with the tools, education and support needed to adapt to expanded scope and increasing health-care demands, including the recent launch of CPhA Learning and the national PharmacistsCAN campaign.

"The focus of the Chief Pharmacist Officer role today is really about helping Canadians and decision makers better understand how much pharmacy practice has evolved and why that matters for the health system. Pharmacists are now providing frontline care in communities across the country, from managing chronic diseases and administering vaccines to improving access where other care may be limited. My goal is to help ensure pharmacists are fully recognized, supported and integrated as essential care providers, while advancing the policies, funding models and practice environments needed to help them continue delivering safe, evidence-based care to Canadians."

Dr. Faisal will continue to lead CPhA’s Professional Affairs department in her role as Vice President, Professional Affairs, alongside her responsibilities as Chief Pharmacist Officer.