The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: Recognizing and Rewarding OTC Counselling That Improves Patient Care

The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform: Recognizing and Rewarding OTC Counselling That Improves Patient Care

Over-the-counter (OTC) counselling is one of the most common clinical services pharmacists provide, yet it has traditionally gone unrecognized and uncompensated. In this first episode of a three-part series introducing the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com), Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal are joined by community pharmacist and founder Hanson Lalani to discuss a new approach that recognizes and rewards pharmacists for the expertise they bring to OTC patient care. The conversation explores how the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform enables pharmacists to document eligible OTC counselling interactions while helping manufacturers better support pharmacist education around their products. More importantly, it examines why these counselling conversations matter. From preventing medication errors and harmful drug interactions to ensuring patients select and use OTC therapies correctly, pharmacists play a critical role in improving outcomes every day. The hosts also discuss how better recognition of OTC counselling can encourage more patient engagement, strengthen pharmacy practice, and help reduce unnecessary strain on the healthcare system by ensuring patients receive the right advice at the right time. This episode is presented with support from the Pharmacists Deserve It Platform (https://PharmacistsDeserveIt.com). The Pharmacists Deserve It Platform was created by pharmacists to recognize the clinical value of OTC counselling. The platform provides pharmacists with product-specific counselling resources from participating manufacturers, enables quick and compliant documentation of eligible counselling interactions, and recognizes pharmacists for the time and expertise they dedicate to helping patients make informed decisions about over-the-counter therapies. By supporting pharmacist-patient conversations around OTC products, the platform aims to improve patient care while acknowledging the important clinical services pharmacists provide every day.

Beyond Dispensing: Prevention, Advocacy, and Practice Transformation

Recorded live at PharmacyU Toronto 2026, this episode features two pharmacy leaders helping shape the future of the profession: Molly Yang, Senior Director of Pharmacy Innovation & Professional Affairs at Wholehealth Pharmacy Partners, and Shelita Dattani, Chair and Advocacy Lead at Vaccine Alliance. Hosts Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal explore the growing role of pharmacists in preventive care, vaccination, travel health, chronic disease management, and professional advocacy. The conversation highlights the importance of pharmacist-led prevention strategies, the opportunities presented by expanding scope of practice, and the need for stronger advocacy to ensure pharmacists are recognized and valued for the care they provide. They also discuss PharmacyU's unique role in bringing the profession together, the evolving mindset of new pharmacy graduates, and what pharmacy practice could look like over the next three to five years. Whether your passion is immunization, chronic disease management, pharmacy ownership, or advancing the profession, this episode offers practical insights and an optimistic vision for the future of pharmacy in Canada. We are grateful to RxLaw for their support of this episode, helping to advance the knowledge and professional development of pharmacists. With a team that combines legal expertise and firsthand healthcare experience, RxLaw offers practical, informed guidance that reflects the realities of clinical practice. Their commitment to supporting healthcare professionals and navigating complex regulatory environments helps strengthen the profession and promote high standards of care.

Vaccine Confidence Under Fire: Dr. Paul Offit, Charlotte Moser, and the Fight Against Misinformation

In this episode of The Pharmacists Are In, hosts Dr. John Papastergiou and Ajit Johal welcome two of the most respected voices in vaccine education and public health: Dr. Paul Offit, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Charlotte Moser, Co-Director, Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Together, they examine the rapidly changing vaccine landscape in the United States, including the impact of recent policy changes, the dismissal and restructuring of the ACIP committee, rising measles cases, and growing challenges around public trust in vaccines. The discussion explores how misinformation campaigns have evolved, why healthcare professionals remain essential sources of trusted information, and what pharmacists can do when faced with vaccine questions and hesitancy in everyday practice. Dr. Offit and Charlotte Moser also share practical communication strategies for frontline healthcare providers, discuss the importance of empathy when addressing concerns, and offer perspectives on the future of vaccine science and public health. For pharmacists, immunizers, and healthcare professionals navigating an increasingly complex information environment, this episode delivers timely insights and practical advice from two global leaders in vaccine education. We are grateful to Immunize.io Health Association (www.immunize.io) for their support of this educational program and their commitment to advancing immunization awareness, education, and access. Since 2018, Immunize.io has worked to improve vaccination rates through community outreach, healthcare professional education, workplace and community immunization programs, and initiatives that address vaccine confidence and accessibility. Their efforts help strengthen public health both locally and globally by supporting evidence-based immunization practices and expanding protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Beyond A1C: Rethinking Diabetes Management with Continuous Glucose Monitoring

In this episode, Ajit Johal and Dr. John Papastergiou shift the conversation back to one of the most pressing challenges in pharmacy practice - diabetes management. With more patients presenting in community pharmacies and limited access to primary care, pharmacists are increasingly on the front lines of supporting those living with diabetes. The discussion explores the growing role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), the limitations of relying solely on A1C, and the importance of focusing on time in range and hypoglycemia prevention. John and Ajit also unpack common misconceptions around CGM, practical onboarding strategies, and how pharmacists can start small to integrate this powerful technology into everyday practice. From identifying high-risk patients to leveraging real-time data for better outcomes, this episode offers practical insights to help pharmacists improve care without adding unnecessary complexity. We are grateful to Dexcom Canada for their support of this educational program, helping to advance the knowledge and professional development of pharmacists. Dexcom develops continuous glucose monitoring technology that supports patients and healthcare professionals with real-time glucose data to help inform diabetes management. Their commitment to innovation continues to support the evolving role of pharmacists in diabetes care across Canada.

Advocacy, Sustainability, and Scope: Smita Patil on the Future of Pharmacy in Ontario

In this episode of The Pharmacists Are In, Ajit Johal and Dr. John Papastergiou sit down with Smita Patil, Vice President, Retail Member Relations & Professional Affairs at McKesson Canada and candidate for the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) Board of Directors. Smita shares her 20+ year journey across frontline practice, operations, and government affairs, and how those experiences shape her approach to advocacy today. The conversation explores one of the most pressing challenges facing the profession - balancing scope expansion with sustainable funding. From newly funded vaccines to growing common ailments programs, the discussion dives into what it really takes to implement services at the pharmacy level. Smita emphasizes the importance of interoperability, workforce capacity, and ensuring funding and scope evolve together - not separately. The episode also highlights the role of grassroots advocacy, the importance of OPA membership, and why pharmacists must unify their voice to drive meaningful system-level change. With the OPA election underway, this is a timely and important conversation about leadership, representation, and the future of pharmacy in Ontario and across Canada. Listen in for a pragmatic, frontline-informed perspective on where the profession is heading and how pharmacists can help shape it. This episode is supported by Lampyon Health Communications, an agency at the intersection of health marketing and health education. Through strategic storytelling, education, and digital innovation, Lampyon helps bring important healthcare conversations - like this one - to life for pharmacists and the broader healthcare community.