BRI’s Barbara Farrell wins the OPA Exceptional Achievement in Research Award
06/08/2018
Please join us in congratulating Ms. Barbara Farrell, PharmD, on the receipt of the Exceptional Achievement in Research Award! This award, presented by the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA), recognizes Barb’s leadership in fostering collaborative relationships between pharmacists and/or with other healthcare professionals.
Barb has been conducting research at the Bruyère Research Institute for 19 years. Her work focuses on addressing challenges related to polypharmacy and improving medication-related care for older adults. This includes the development and evaluation of deprescribing guidelines. It also involves the development and evaluation of innovative educational programming to improve medication-related care, and testing feasibility of deprescribing guideline use with members of the public. Barb is continuously sharing knowledge through social media and her website,
www.deprescribing.org. She also hosted the first-ever international deprescribing guidelines symposium in March, 2018. Her work is garnering attention on an international scale, as countries around the world look to adopt these deprescribing guidelines.
Barb brings a deep passion and strong work ethic to all of her projects. She credits her uncle as the source of her commitment to pharmacy. “Watching my uncle take care of the people in his community motivated me to think about pharmacy as a career.”
She began her journey at the University of Toronto, where she completed her Bachelor’s and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees. She then completed her residency at Chedoke-McMaster Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. She went on to gain experience in hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, and primary care. Then, for 19 years, she found herself at the Bruyère Continuing Care Geriatric Day Hospital. From these diverse experiences, Barb brings with her a broad perspective on pharmacy practice and a deep understanding of the needs of patients in different health care environments.
Barb is a leader in her field. To this day, she continues to lift the people around her to be the best they can be. She leaves the following advice for aspiring pharmacists: “Get as many experiences as you can. The pharmacy profession has so many opportunities – both through employment and chances to volunteer. Volunteer for organizations like OPA. You meet great, motivated people and form networks of business colleagues and friends for life.”
Congratulations, Barb!
About the Bruyère Research InstituteThe Bruyère Research Institute supports investigators who contribute to a better, more responsive health care system that delivers the best care to patients, residents and families. The Institute is a proud partner of Bruyère Continuing Care, the University of Ottawa and others and provides solutions to improve the health and health care of aging and vulnerable Canadians. The Institute’s research focuses primarily on evidence, health system evaluation, brain health, geriatrics and rehabilitation, primary care, palliative care, and global health.
About the Ontario Pharmacists AssociationThe Ontario Pharmacists Association is committed to evolving the pharmacy profession, and advocating for excellence in practice and patient care. OPA is Canada’s largest advocacy organization, and professional development and drug information provider for pharmacy professionals across Ontario. By leveraging the unique expertise of pharmacy professionals, enabling them to practise to their fullest potential, and making them more accessible to patients, OPA is working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system. The pharmacy sector plays a strong role in Ontario with an economic impact of more than $6.3 billion across 4,500 pharmacies, employing 60,000 Ontarians.