Kathryn (Katie) HollisTo cite: Hollis K. The voice of healthcare-systems pharmacy professionals [commentary]. Can J Hosp Pharm. 77(4):e3752. doi: 10.4212/cjhp.3752
This past June, the Board of Directors of the Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy (CSHP) approved an aspirational strategic plan that aims to position the Society as the voice of all pharmacy professionals within Canada’s healthcare systems. As we embark on the journey of implementing our new strategic plan, I am filled with a sense of optimism and determination. CSHP’s updated mission is clear: to optimize patient outcomes by advancing excellence in pharmacy practice and being the voice of pharmacy within healthcare systems.
Earlier this year, CSHP Treasurer Megan Riordon shared that the new strategic plan contains five key result areas: professional leadership, identity, advocacy, organizational excellence, and community (https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.3623). Each of these areas is crucial to achieving CSHP’s new mission, and I’d like to introduce here a few key initiatives that are intended to lift the new strategic plan off the ground in the upcoming year.
CSHP strives to position its membership to lead and advance pharmacy practice within healthcare systems. With CSHP’s renewed focus on practice advancement, one of the first steps in achieving this goal is reinstating an advisory group. In October, therefore, the Board endorsed the development of a Professional Practice Advisory Committee that will be directly accountable to the Board and responsible for advising on initiatives that will position our members to lead the advancement of pharmacy practice.
Our identity as an organization has already experienced a monumental change, with the adoption of our new name. However, the effort to ensure that CSHP reflects the diversity of our country and our membership does not stop there. We must take steps to ensure that the language used in all official documents is inclusive. Furthermore, our Society must represent the diversity of both Canada as a whole and the patient population served by our membership and must develop a governance structure that achieves this diversity.
Advocacy is a powerful tool for advancing practice and positioning CSHP and its members as the voice of pharmacy within healthcare systems. Continued support of the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (CJHP) in its role of enhancing evidence-informed advocacy remains a priority for CSHP. The CJHP continually publishes meaningful pharmacy practice research with demonstrated impact on improving the health outcomes of our patients while advancing the scope of healthcare-systems pharmacy. Another step toward advancing advocacy and effecting systemic change throughout the pharmacy sector is prioritizing bidirectional communication between our external representatives and CSHP’s Professional Practice team, to strengthen and solidify our relationships and partnerships within the sector.
Organizational excellence is the foundation that supports all our efforts. We are committed to building a Society that is financially and environmentally sustainable through innovation and best practices in governance, leadership, and operations. We will continue to improve upon the gains toward financial sustainability that have resulted from the 2020–2023 strategy and will further focus efforts toward diversification of revenue generation, while incorporating environmental sustainability, inclusion, and diversity of representation within our governance structures.
Finally, CSHP wants to be the home for all healthcaresystems pharmacy professionals. To position CSHP as the professional association of their choice and to strengthen our community, we will review opportunities to improve the venues where members engage with each other—the platforms, the volunteer experiences, and the program offerings. But first, we must take the time to introduce the finer points of our new strategic plan. The coming months will see the official launch of the new plan, followed by requests to disseminate the strategic plan to Branch Councils, affiliated Boards, Standing Committees, and more … stay tuned!
© 2024 Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy | Société canadienne de pharmacie dans les réseaux de la santé
Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, VOLUME 77, NUMBER 4, 2024