Extension of Appointment of Dr. Michael Coughtrie, Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Following the recommendation of Professor Santa Ono, UBC is pleased to announce that the Board of Governors has approved the extension of Dr. Michael Coughtrie’s appointment as Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for a second five-year term commencing August 1, 2018.
Under the leadership of Dean Coughtrie, and following broad consultation with faculty, staff, UBC colleagues, and external stakeholders, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences undertook to develop its strategic plan – Catalyst for Change – for the five-year period, 2017-2022. The plan serves to build on the Faculty’s successes of the past and to further its development as one of the leading centres for research, education and innovation in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. It is also noteworthy that this plan aligns closely with UBC’s vision expressed in the University’s strategic plan.
Dr. Coughtrie is seen as a strong advocate and leader of the Faculty. Over his first term as Dean, Dr. Coughtrie has led the Faculty through a period of significant curriculum change and targeted faculty recruitment initiatives. This included the implementation of the Entry-to-Practice Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program in September 2015 and gaining approval by the UBC Senate and Provincial Government for the new Flex PharmD program (launching in September 2018).
In the development of the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program, the Faculty was cognizant of the importance to include key stakeholders to ensure that the new curriculum would provide the necessary scope and skills for graduates to meet the needs of the profession. Dr. Coughtrie also organized a research forum to provide networking opportunities for hospital clinicians and academic staff to develop collaborative relationships. This approach clearly reflects a desire to be inclusive of the various community, hospital, and professional pharmacy stakeholders when undertaking new initiatives and was evident throughout the strategic planning process of the past year.
In contemplating the Faculty’s vision for these next five to ten years, Dean Coughtrie has identified that the most significant challenge will be to build a sustainable portfolio of innovative and impactful world-class research. Progress has already been made against this challenge in that the Faculty has recruited a number of outstanding early career research faculty.
Another exciting development was recently announced on June 5th by Adrian Dix, BC Minister of Health, advising that the Ministry will support, with $23 million in funding, an innovative program that will see clinical pharmacists integrated into the development of team-based primary healthcare in British Columbia. It is clear that pharmacists working together with other health professionals in the team-based primary care setting have been shown to be of substantial benefit to patient health outcomes. Indeed, the Pharmacists Clinic in the Faculty has been developing this model of care over the past 4.5 years. The Faculty will now be working with the Ministry of Health and healthcare providers, including pharmacists in community pharmacies, to bring this to patients across BC as part of the Province’s new primary healthcare strategy. This initiative, led by the Associate Dean, Practice Innovation with support of Dean Coughtrie, links closely to the academic and research activities of the Faculty – from the Doctor of Pharmacy program that will produce graduates trained to work in these integrated settings, to the research that scientists of the Pharmaceutical Sciences carry out
In closing, UBC would like to take this opportunity to thank the President’s Advisory Committee and all who participated in the consultation during the process of consideration for the extension of Dr. Coughtrie’s appointment as Dean. We are confident that, following this review process, he will continue to provide solid leadership for the Faculty as it moves forward in achieving the goals and aspirations outlined in the Catalyst for Change. We look forward to working closely with Dean Coughtrie and the Faculty over the coming five years.