Earlier this month, UBC Pharm Sci community members gathered virtually to celebrate the achievements of the 2022 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni Agent of Change Sam Louie, BSc(Pharm)’73 and Future Alumni Agent of Change Annick Sevigny, PharmD’19. The event was hosted by Dean Michael Coughtrie and included the unveiling of a special 75th Anniversary alumni video, as well as presentations by the 2022 Award recipients.
Sam Louie is a well-known face in hospital practice in British Columbia, having led his pharmacy team at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver for 34 years. Across his career—spanning 49 years—Sam has inspired generations of health care professionals as a frontline leadership trainer, lecturer, facilitator, and master of ceremonies.
In reflecting on his career, Sam shares that for him, it’s forming relationships with others that has been most rewarding. "These transformational bonds with mentors, colleagues, students, and patients shaped my character and transcend my career beyond the norm,” he says.
Recipient of the Alumni Future Agent of Change award, Annick Sevigny, is British Columbia’s first Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist (PCCP) and currently serves as part of the Kootenay Boundary Primary Care Network.
Annick’s interest in primary care clinical pharmacy was piqued early in her schooling when her Entry-to-Practice PharmD class learned about pharmacists employed in primary care settings in the United Kingdom and Australia.
“Having grown up in smaller rural communities, I was intrigued by the possibility of providing services in communities that are otherwise underserved. I wanted to be part of a community where I had the opportunity to work closely with patients, primary care and other health care providers,” she says.
“I love working as a PCCP because I get to better understand the patient and their medical journey. This allows me to tailor my recommendations and strive toward goals of therapy that resonate with each individual patient. Through education and recommendations, I can create relationships with patients and observe longitudinal improvements with each follow-up appointment.”
The UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumni Agent of Change award was established to recognize alumni for their outstanding contributions to a clinical, community, education, or research field that has local, national or global impact. Nominations are adjudicated by a selection committee. Click here to learn more.
Advice for pharmacy students and new graduates from 2022 Alumni Agent of Change recipients
1. Learn and master the essential leadership tools.
2. Your integrity is everything. Be true to yourself.
3. Engage with remarkable mentors to help you navigate your career trajectory.
4. Surround yourself with good people. It’s all about relationships!
5. Do good things and good things will happen.
Sam Louie, BSc(Pharm)’73
I think for me what has worked well—and what I suggest to students and new graduates—is to stay curious, seek opportunities for continuous growth and skill building, and be resilient when things don’t go as planned. Exposing myself to different opportunities allowed me to better understand what I was passionate about and what I wanted to accomplish in my pharmacy practice. Versatility and openness will equip you for whatever is to come next!
Annick Sevigny, PharmD’19