Public health pharmacy, with Adrian Leung

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In this episode, Sujani sits down with Adrian Leung, a public health pharmacist currently working with the province of Ontario to advance digital health. They discuss pharmacy and the current state of healthcare, the role of pharmacists in public health, and how pharmacy and public health can further intermingle to advance community health.

You’ll Learn

• What drew Adrian towards pharmacy and then public health later in his career
  • Adrian’s experience working in a long term care facility and how frustration with the current health system and a want to learn led to him pursuing a Masters in Health Administration
• What a day in the life of a public health pharmacist looks like
  • The work Adrian did with the COVID vaccine roll out
• How the role of pharmacists in public health is still evolving and the advancements in care that may come from merging the private and public sectors of health
• How digital health and technology further advances health and outreach to communities

Today’s Guest

Initially trained as a pharmacist, Adrian spent the first eight years of his career specializing in pharmacy service delivery for seniors living in congregate care settings including long-term care. He later pursued a masters in health administration to broaden his knowledge and skillset, and subsequently joined York Region's public health unit to help advance their COVID-19 vaccination campaign. In that role as a Public Health Pharmacist, he served as the COVID-19 team's pharmaceutical expert to advise internal and external stakeholders on appropriate vaccine inventory management (including proper storage, handling, and distribution) and promote vaccine effectiveness and patient safety. Adrian is currently part of a team that advances digital innovation and transformation initiatives in the province of Ontario.

Resources

• Follow Adrian on LinkedIn 
• Read more about pharmacy's role in managing COVID and opportunities for further integration into public health  

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