2026 Conference
What to Expect at Canada’s Largest Conference for Ontario Pharmacy Technicians
The Pharmacy Technician Professional Development Conference (PTPDC) returns in 2026 with two days of practical education, leadership development, and meaningful connection — all designed specifically for pharmacy technicians.
May 8, 2026
Evening
2080 Niagara Stone Road,
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0
- Opening Remarks
- Distinguished Keynote Speaker
- Networking Reception
- Includes Food & Complimentary Drink
MC
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
Keynote
May 9, 2026
Full-Day Program
253 Taylor Road,
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0
Registration and continental breakfast
Committee welcome/Opening remarks
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
Keynote
Break
Session 1: Indigenous Cultural Safety and Healthcare Equity
Topic Focus: Addressing healthcare disparities and providing culturally safe care to Indigenous patients. Understanding Treaty rights, traditional medicines, and respectful communication approaches.
Patricia McCartney, RPhT
Session 2: The RPhT framework: Navigating the Two-Part Register and QA Requirements
Deena Hamzawi RPh. (Quality Assurance Advisor)
Sachi Sharma RPh. (Quality Assurance Advisor)
Jillian Polson RPh. (Entry to Practice Assessment Lead)
Session 3: Artificial Intelligence in Pharmacy — What Pharmacy Technicians Need to Know
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming part of healthcare, and pharmacy practice is no exception. This session will introduce pharmacy technicians to how AI is beginning to influence pharmacy workflows, technology, and daily practice in both hospital and community settings. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of what AI is, where it is already appearing in pharmacy environments, and how it may shape the future of technician roles, responsibilities, and opportunities. This session is designed to be approachable, relevant, and thought-provoking — helping pharmacy technicians feel informed, prepared, and confident as technology continues to evolve within the profession.
Alam Hallan RPh.
Lunch
Session 4: Panel Discussion: Pharmacy Technicians in Diverse Roles
Topic Focus: This session will feature a panel of pharmacy technicians discussing their experiences and insights in various practice settings.
Avalon Lupini RPhT.– Founder of SmartyPrints
Harjit Sidhu RPhT.– Pharmaceutical Operations Specialist, Region of Peel Paramedic Services
Amanda Gurman RPhT. - Senior Patient Care Navigator at Sentrex Health
Komal Zahra RPhT. - Senior Policy and Program Advisor, Vaccine Supply and Logistics Unit, Ministry of Health Ontario Public Service
Session 5: Opioid Crisis Response: Pharmacy Technicians as Harm Reduction Champions
Topic Focus: Naloxone distribution, methadone dispensing protocols, and compassionate care for patients with substance use disorders. Reducing stigma and supporting recovery.
Mark Barnes RPh.
Break
Session 6: Mental Health and Wellness in Pharmacy Practice: Breaking the Silence
Topic Focus: Addressing the 79% burnout risk among pharmacy professionals. This session will explore practical strategies for workplace wellness, destigmatizing mental health support, and introduce participants to Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) — a simple, evidence-informed tool that attendees can use to manage stress, regulate emotions, and build resilience both at work and in daily life.
Christina Scheer (she/her) RSW, MSW, BSW, CRA-RT, RYT
www.scheertherapy.ca
Closing remarks
May 8, 2026
Evening
- Opening Remarks
- Distinguished Keynote Speaker
- Networking Reception
MC
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
May 9, 2026
Full-Day Program
- Morning Education Sessions
- Afternoon Education Sessions
- Sponsor Exhibits & Passport Game
- Closing Session & Prize Draw
MC
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
Meet Our Speakers
Community Pharmacy Owner
Samier Kamar is a community pharmacist and owner of two independent pharmacies, speaker and presenter at various healthcare conferences and clinics, a clinical instructor in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program at the University of Toronto, and a clinical practice case writer for a national Canadian healthcare network of physicians and pharmacists.
Quality Assurance Advisor – Knowledge Assessments and Self-Assessments
Deena works closely with writers and standard setters to support the development and delivery of Quality Assurance Knowledge Assessments for pharmacists and the Self-Assessment Tool for pharmacy technicians. She also advises and supports registrants who are unsuccessful in the QA process, guiding them through next steps and remediation.
Lead, Entry to Practice Assessments
Jillian leads the development, delivery, and evaluation of entry-to-practice assessments, including the Practice Assessment of Competence at Entry (PACE) and the Jurisprudence, Ethics and Professionalism (JEP) examination. Her work focuses on ensuring entry-to-practice requirements align with current standards of pharmacy practice and public protection.
Quality Assurance Advisor – Practice Assessments
Sachi supports the development and delivery of Quality Assurance assessments, with a focus on Practice Assessments. He guides pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through remediation and coaching and works closely with peer assessors and coaches to promote continuous quality improvement for assessments of professional competence. Sachi also supports registrants in understanding the differences between Part A and Part B of the public register.
Pharmacist & Owner Respect Rx Pharmacies
Mark, along with his partner pharmacists are very passionate advocates for the respectful approach to substance use and mental health treatment. This led them to develop Respect Rx, pharmacies that pride themselves on providing dignified, stigma-free pharmacy services to those with complex mental health and substance use health issues. Further to this, Mark’s work on the opioid crisis led to the development and implementation of a fentanyl patch return program to help curb diversion of this deadly drug to the streets. This program has received significant local, provincial, and even national attention. In 2015 this fentanyl “patch for patch” return program became Ontario law and is now a practice standard for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Mark is also heavily involved in substance use health education. Using his website NaloxoneCare.com he has delivered over 1000 seminars for various community groups, companies, and other medical professions on this topic. He serves on the Overdose Task Force with Ottawa Public Health & Eastern Ontario Heath Unit since 2012. More recently Mark and Respect Rx Pharmacies have partnered with St John Ambulance to deliver two national opioid overdose prevention projects that distributed naloxone overdose prevention kits to high risk and underserved communities. Mark continues to support these projects and advocates for low barrier, stigma free access to naloxone and treatment whenever possible. Mark’s community work and advocacy has resulted in many awards: “Health is a Community Affair Award” in 2013; Memorial University School of Pharmacy’s 2014 “Alumni of the Year Award;” a prestigious national pharmacy “Commitment to Care” award in 2014 for addiction disease state management. Locally, in 2019 he was recognized by the City of Ottawa as a Healthy Communities Champion for his dedication to promoting overdose prevention, received a Paul Harris Fellow Award for outstanding community service in 2022 and in 2023 was awarded an Honorary Bachelor’s Degree from Algonquin College for a lifetime of achievement and service to the Ottawa Community. Since being asked to be a regional champion for the Ontario Ministry of Health’s publicly funded naloxone program, Respect Rx has trained over 275,000 people and conducted countless community-based seminars on proper use of naloxone and the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose.
Founder of SmartyPrints
Avalon Lupini is a Sudbury-based Registered Pharmacy Technician with 19 years of experience in retail and hospital pharmacy and the innovator behind SmartyPrints. She developed this specialized printing system to replace hand-written medication labels with durable, smudge- and chemical-resistant labels that stay securely attached to cold or wet packaging, significantly improving patient safety and workflow efficiency. Avalon is also the 2024 winner of the Pharmacy Practice and Business Pharmacy Technician Initiative Award, highlighting her leadership and innovation. Her work demonstrates the vital role of front-line healthcare professionals in driving technology that enhances both efficiency and patient care.
Pharmaceutical Operations Specialist Peel Paramedic Services
Harjit Sidhu is a strategic and results-driven pharmacy technician specialist with over two decades of expertise in pharmaceutical operations, regulatory compliance, and controlled substance management. She currently serves as the Pharmaceutical Operations Specialist for the Region of Peel, where she is entrusted with overseeing the regional pharmacy and managing stocking & replenishment of all pharmaceuticals and narcotics. Harjit plays a critical role in ensuring the safe, compliant, and ready availability of emergency medications across paramedic service operations. Her expertise spans pharmaceutical procurement, controlled substance distribution, inventory optimization, and audit processes, ensuring adherence to Health Canada and CDSA regulations.
Owner Sheer Therapy
Christina Scheer is a Clinical Social Worker and holistic therapist redefining mental health care beyond traditional talk therapy. As the founder of Scheer Therapy and Wellness, she brings an integrative, trauma-informed approach that bridges neuroscience, evidence-based psychotherapy, somatic practice, and energetic healing. With extensive experience supporting children, adults, and families, Christina developed specialized expertise in complex trauma, substance misuse, and co-occurring mental health challenges. Her work is grounded in social work theory and ethics, while expanding into innovative and body-based modalities that support nervous system regulation and deep, sustainable healing. Including yoga and reiki principles Christina is EMDRIA-certified in EMDR and trained in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), CBT, DBT, Direct Neurofeedback (DNF), and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. She is also a Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified Reiki Master Teacher, integrating movement, mindfulness, sound principles and energy-based practices into her clinical work. Her approach is never one-size-fits-all. Christina curates individualized therapeutic experiences that honor each person’s needs, story, and innate capacity for healing. By weaving together clinical excellence with holistic wisdom, she helps her clients reconnect with their inner systems, cultivate resilience, and move toward wholeness. In addition to her clinical practice, Christina provides clinical supervision and is passionate about supporting fellow practitioners and interns in developing grounded, integrative, and ethically sound therapeutic work.
Humber River Health
Patricia McCartney is the first Indigenous Registered Pharmacy Technician in Canada, proudly representing her Haudenosaunee heritage. Originally from Six Nations of the Grand River in Ohsweken, Ontario, and the daughter of a residential school survivor, she is a lifelong advocate for Indigenous rights. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada and works full-time at Humber River Health in Toronto, Ontario, where she applies her expertise and dedication to patient care. In addition to her healthcare role, Patricia is committed to addressing systemic inequality and promoting inclusive healthcare that honours Indigenous perspectives. She is a member of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committees at her workplace, the Ontario College of Pharmacists, and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Her dedication goes beyond advocacy; she is also an entrepreneur and the founder of Warrior Spirit Scrubs, a business that demonstrates her commitment to community support by donating 5% of its profits to Indigenous communities.
Senior Patient Care Navigator at Sentrex Health
Amanda Gurman is a regulated Pharmacy Technician with over 13 years of experience supporting patients in navigating medication access and complex healthcare systems, including extensive work as a Drug Access Navigator. She currently serves as a Senior Patient Care Navigator at Sentrex Health, specializing in supporting patients and families navigating Alzheimer’s disease treatments.
Pharmacist and PhD candidate in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo
Alam Hallan is a pharmacist, healthcare technology leader, and PhD candidate in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where his research focuses on artificial intelligence, human factors, and the responsible use of technology in healthcare systems. His work explores how AI can be implemented in ways that support clinicians, improve workflows, and promote equitable patient care. Alam currently works in pharmaceutical supply chain and drug distribution, bringing a unique perspective that bridges clinical practice, healthcare operations, and emerging technologies. His experience spans pharmacy practice, digital health innovation, and healthcare data systems, with a particular interest in how technology can reduce system friction and improve access to care. Through his work and research, Alam focuses on ensuring that new technologies are designed around the realities of clinical workflows and patient needs.
Senior Policy and Program Advisor, Vaccine Supply and Logistics Unit, Ministry of Health Ontario Public Service