Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada announces 2024-25 scholarship recipients

August 22, 2024 (Ottawa): The Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (IPPC), in partnership with the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), is thrilled to announce the 2024-2025 recipients of the IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship.

• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship by Shoppers Drug Mart: Makenzie Karpounin, a fourth-year student in the PharmD program at the University of Alberta with a passion for making a difference and inspiring others to follow their dreams.
   

• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship by Johnson & Johnson: Tyiesha Wright, a second-year student in the PharmD program at the University of Toronto dedicated to using her education to address health inequities for Indigenous communities.
   

• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship by BioScript Solutions: Kelvin Magun, a first-year student in the PharmD program at the University of British Columbia who is committed to being an active advocate for improving the health and wellness of Indigenous communities.
   

• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship by GreenShield Canada: Lindsay Stewart, a first-year student in the pharmacy technician program at Selkirk College who believes that just one person can make a big difference in someone’s life.
   

• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship by Sobeys National Pharmacy Group: Jennifer Aylward, a first-year student in the pharmacy technician program at Canadian Career College who strives to promote Indigenous culture and health-care practices with her colleagues.
   

• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship by BioScript Solutions: Nicole Beskorwayne, a first-year student in the pharmacy technician program Saskatchewan Polytechnic who brings a passion for helping people to everything she does.

These scholarships, each awarded to a pharmacy student with First Nations (status or non-status), Métis or Inuit ancestry enrolled in a PharmD or pharmacy technician program in Canada, aim to encourage and support the growth of the Indigenous pharmacy community across the country. This year’s recipients were incredibly inspiring applicants, all dedicated to enhancing care for and by Indigenous peoples within and beyond their own communities.

The second year of the Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship received extensive interest, with nearly 30 applicants for the 2 PharmD and 3 technician scholarships available to be awarded in this cycle. "Our organization is encouraged by the number of Indigenous students entering the pharmacy profession. This representation is vital to the evolution of health care in Canada to meet Indigenous patients' health empowerment and equity needs,” says Dr. Amy Lamb, Executive Director of the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada. “The applications highlighted the many barriers faced by Indigenous students, with many students experiencing limited support during their education. All of the applicants were deserving candidates, with those selected representing the greatest needs and a powerful capacity to make transformative contributions to pharmacy practice.”

All eligible applicants will receive complimentary IPPC memberships for the 2024-2025 membership year. “Though we cannot provide financial support to all applicants, IPPC is dedicated to building a strong network of Indigenous pharmacy professionals, and we hope to provide mentorship, cultural training and community gatherings to all applicants,” explains Dr. Lamb. Both IPPC and CPhA hope to continue to build this program and increase funding availability in the future.

Learn more about the 2024-25 Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship recipients on our website.

IPPC and CPhA thank our founding sponsor, Johnson & Johnson, as well as title sponsors of the scholarship, Shoppers Drug Mart, Green Shield Canada, Sobeys National Pharmacy Group and BioScript Solutions, for their support of the IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship. Please visit our website at www.pharmacists.ca/ippc for more information or to become a sponsor. Information on the 2025-2026 application process will be available in early 2025.

Quotes

“In only its second year, the IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship is already making a difference in the lives of Indigenous pharmacy students. CPhA is proud to support these efforts that encourage Indigenous youth to pursue careers in pharmacy, building professional capacity within Indigenous communities. We remain committed to working together to address the systemic racism and health inequities that persist for Indigenous peoples across the nation, and we are tremendously grateful to our sponsors for their ongoing and generous support.”

Annette Robinson, Chair, Canadian Pharmacists Association

“This scholarship has felt like a reward for all my hard work over the years and has made a tremendously positive impact on my education. It has allowed me to focus all my energies into striving for excellence in my courses. As I am now going into my final year, this scholarship will greatly lighten the financial burden of my clinical rotations, especially when I will be away from home. I am deeply honoured and appreciative to be granted this scholarship.”

Makenzie Karpounin, PharmD Candidate, University of Alberta

Related links

• Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada webpage
• IPPC Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship webpage

About the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada
The Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (IPPC) is an Indigenous-led association that has been established to connect and support Indigenous pharmacy professionals and help all pharmacists provide better care to Indigenous patients by creating and promoting pharmacy practice models that respect the safety, equality, strengths and teachings of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. More information is available at www.pharmacists.ca/ippc.

About the Canadian Pharmacists Association

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is the uniting national voice of pharmacy and the pharmacist profession in Canada. As pharmacists undertake an enhanced role in the delivery of health care services, CPhA ensures that the profession is recognized as a national leader in health care, influencing the policies, programs, budgets and initiatives affecting the profession and the health of Canadians. More information is available at www.pharmacists.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Amy Lamb
Executive Director
Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada
ceo@indigenouspharmacy.ca

Tyler Gogo
Senior Manager, Communications
Canadian Pharmacists Association
tgogo@pharmacists.ca