Dom Boudreau
Manager, Professional Development
What is your role at OPA, and what does it entail?
I am the Manager, Professional Development. My role involves creating and delivering continuing education and programs for pharmacists and technicians, and that can be in many different formats, like online learning, webinars, and in-person events.
What is your educational/career background, and what drew you to OPA?
My career in pharmacy began on the Danforth in Toronto as a Pharmacy Assistant (PA), and then I became a Registered Tech. Although my time in the Tech role was very brief, the experiences gathered in my years as a PA opened doors I couldn’t have imagined, including being recruited by Shoppers Central Office to coach pharmacy teams nationwide with workflow improvements and new software implementation.
Over the next seven years, I explored and advanced through roles in Continuous Improvement, Professional Development, and Patient Care Services, each one teaching me something new about people and the operational processes that form two key pillars of pharmacy.
What drew me to the OPA is simple: the people. It’s a place where I can bring my creative energy and ideas to build work that matters, alongside colleagues who are thoughtful, collaborative, and truly care about patients and the pharmacy professionals we serve.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love receiving feedback that our professional development helped to fill a gap or increase confidence in the delivery of patient care.
What are your thoughts on the scope of practice expansions over recent years for pharmacy professionals?
The scope of practice expansions seen in recent years reflect the critical role pharmacy professionals play as accessible front-line providers and have helped increase access to health care for Ontarians. To support the evolving pharmacy profession, it is important to ensure these roles are also accompanied by the necessary resources and investments in sustainability to strengthen professional capacity.
What are your thoughts on the scope of practice expansions over recent years for pharmacy professionals (particularly for pharmacy technicians)?
Having recently moved about 90+ minutes from downtown Toronto to a small rural village – with no local doctor or healthcare access – I see the expansion as a necessary and positive step towards addressing the healthcare crisis to enable better access to patient care in smaller communities.
In your view, what might the future of pharmacy look like?
I think pharmacy will continue to become a more centralized community hub for improved timely access to healthcare, and pharmacist and tech roles will continue to evolve, assessing and prescribing where scope allows and guiding/referring patients to primary care when appropriate.
When you’re not at work, how do you like to spend your time?
Multi-day backcountry adventures, paddling/hiking with my partner Heather, and our Husky. And when I’m not out in the woods, I can be found car racing on-track/in-sim.
What is your favourite place in the world?
So far, it’s the ancient city of Ephesus, via Kusadasi, Türkiye.
What’s a recent book, movie, or show you’ve enjoyed?
- Book – How to Build a Car: Adrian Newey
- Movie – Sinners
- Series – Pluribus (new), or Twin Peaks (bit older)
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