January 15, 2026
Students at PDW 2026

The 2026 Professional Development Week (PDW) conference was held in Québec City from January 7 to 11 and brought together pharmacy students from across Canada for a week of professional development, advocacy, competitions and national collaboration. Guided by the theme Building the Next Cornerstone, the conference highlighted leadership development, the sustainability of the pharmacy profession and the evolving role of pharmacists within Canada’s healthcare system.

The University of Toronto was represented by 19 student delegates, including:

  • Meriam Salih, CAPSI National President

  • Anica Shafiq, CAPSI Toronto Senior Representative and National Pharmacy Appreciation Month (PAM) Committee Co-Chair

  • Niloufer Syeda, CAPSI Toronto Junior Representative

U of T students participated across the full range of PDW programming, including advocacy workshops, clinical and professional breakout sessions, national competitions, health-fair networking opportunities and national governance meetings.

From left: CAPSI junior representative Niloufer Fatima Syeda, Garah Afzal Syeda, Janvi Makwana, CAPSI senior representative Anica Shafiq, and Sonny Kim.
From left: CAPSI junior representative Niloufer Fatima Syeda, Garah Afzal Syeda, Janvi Makwana, CAPSI senior representative Anica Shafiq, and Sonny Kim.
CAPSI President Meriam Salih with Sonny Kim, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy’s Next Top Pharmacist.
CAPSI President Meriam Salih with Sonny Kim, Toronto's Next Top Pharmacist.

Awards and Recognition

University of Toronto students received recognition through both national and local competitions.

National Awards

​​​​​​Guy Genest Passion for Pharmacy Award

Anica Shafiq

National Patient Interview Competition (PIC)

Nancy Awadallah (fourth place)

National Over-the-Counter (OTC) Competition

Nancy Awadallah (third place)

Local Competition Winners

Student Literacy Challenge

Anica Shafiq

PharmaChoice Canada Poster Competition

Anica Shafiq

Compounding Competition

Ayesha Ahmad
Zenab Ali
Fatma Kasem
Sarah Afzal Syeda

Toronto’s Next Top Pharmacist (CNTP 2026 Toronto Representative)

Sonny Kim

Program Highlights

PDW programming featured keynote presentations, a national advocacy workshop co-hosted with the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), and breakout sessions focused on both clinical practice and professional development. National competitions were hosted at Université Laval, alongside health-fair networking with national partners.

The week also included the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) Annual General Meeting and elections. Social programming and inter-school events supported national collaboration and community-building among pharmacy students.

Students pose during the "Royal Coronation" event.
Students pose during the "Royal Coronation" event.
Students represent the University of Toronto during one of several PDW events.
Students represent the University of Toronto during one of several PDW events.

Advocacy, PAM and National Initiatives

In addition to conference programming, PDW served as a working forum for CAPSI’s national committees. As National PAM Committee Co-Chairs, Anna Le (University of Manitoba Senior Representative) and Anica Shafiq led discussions focused on shaping Pharmacy Appreciation Month 2026 and strengthening national advocacy efforts.
 

Key Themes Discussed

  • Elevating pharmacy student voices in discussions related to scope of practice, workforce sustainability and student wellness.
  • Addressing financial and logistical barriers faced by students during experiential education placements (EPEs and APPEs).
  • Improving accessibility, awareness and engagement with CAPSI initiatives across schools.
  • Aligning PAM programming with action-oriented advocacy rather than awareness alone.


Planned PAM 2026 Initiatives

  • A coordinated national advocacy campaign focused on student priorities, including scope expansion, student loan forgiveness and experiential education supports.
  • National and local “Thank a Pharmacist” and appreciation initiatives highlighting pharmacists’ evolving clinical roles.
  • Collaborative social media campaigns connecting schools across provinces to showcase diverse pharmacy practice models.
  • Exploration of national virtual advocacy or round-table events in collaboration with external partners.
     

National-Level Action Items

  • Continued collaboration with CPhA on shared advocacy priorities, including scope harmonization and student loan forgiveness.
  • Development of shared national resources to support local CAPSI councils, such as competition guidance and advocacy toolkits.
  • Ongoing data-informed advocacy using student wellness surveys and national-level student feedback.


These discussions underscored a strong commitment from student leaders to move beyond awareness and toward coordinated, tangible action that supports pharmacy students throughout their training and into professional practice.

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