Each year, the APEX Awards honour extraordinary Alberta pharmacists who have made a difference in the profession, in their communities, and in the lives of others. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 APEX Awards were held virtually on March 25, 2021. The Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) and the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA) co-hosted the virtual event.
ACP president Dana Lyons and RxA president Bruce Winston served as the talented co-hosts for the show.
ACP would like to congratulate the 2021 APEX Award recipients:
M.J. Huston Pharmacist of Distinction
- Carlene Oleksyn
- Owner / licensee, Mint Health + Drugs: Meridian, Stony Plain
W.L. Boddy Pharmacy Team Award
- La Crete Apple Drugs, La Crete
Friend of Pharmacy
- Rose Dehod
- Former manager of professional development, Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA)
Future of Pharmacy
- Madeleine Durrant
- Pharmacist, Alberta clinical coordinator, Care Rx, Edmonton
- Dimitri Kachenyuk
- Pharmacist, Mint Health + Drugs: Edmonton
- Jantz Selk
- Pharmacist, Pharmasave, Cardston
ACP has been both proud and fortunate to have had RxA as a partner in celebrating excellence in pharmacy practice over the past 14 years with our annual APEX Awards event.
In recent years, society has challenged regulators of professions to be more attuned to their primary responsibility; in ACP’s case, our responsibility is to carry out our business in a manner that protects and serves the public interest. Awareness of this responsibility escalated in 2020 when provincial legislation was amended to change the governance structures of colleges regulating health professions.
To prevent potential role conflict and follow the example of other colleges that regulate health professions in Alberta and across Canada, ACP is no longer able to actively participate in the sponsorship or selection of awards that recognize practice excellence.
This decision will not detract from ACP’s support for organizations like RxA and PTSA in presenting such awards. We thank RxA for their will and leadership to continue the tradition that we have established together. We look forward to continued celebration of excellence in pharmacy practice in the future.
