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| Dr. Sketris (McNutt photo) |
Dr. Sketris is the first pharmacist and the first woman to receive the Anne and Neil McArthur Research Award, presented by the St. Joseph脮s Healthcare Foundation and McMaster University at a ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario on April 25.聽
The award is presented annually to an outstanding researcher in the health sciences and aims to encourage the brightest minds in Canada and throughout the world to pursue health research.聽 The award was designed and created by internationally-renowned glass sculptor Shirley Elford, who also designed the Juno awards.
脪It gives recognition to the kind of work that we do,鈥� says Dr. Sketris, who was acknowledged for her research in the field of medication management. 脪Applied health research may not be as 脭sexy脮 as other parts of health research but it脮s important because it affects all aspects of the health system.鈥�
Medication management is the study of prescription drug use at all levels of the health care system. It looks at how health professionals prescribe, supply and monitor medication; the barriers and facilitators that help or hinder treatment for patients; and the role of government and health care organizations in the drug distribution system. It encompasses a wide variety of disciplines from pharmacy to psychology to computer science.
Dr. Sketris has worked extensively over the years with the Nova Scotia Department of Health and various hospitals throughout the province and across the country. She believes that researching medication policies and practices can lead to both improved care for citizens and greater savings for government without adversely affecting quality. 脪You want to do the best you can to improve health outcomes for patients while trying to get better value for our health care money鈥� she says. Over $20 billion is spent on prescription drugs in Canada each year.
Dr. Sketris has been a professor at AV俱乐部 for 26 years. She holds a chair with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Canadian Institute of Health Research, conducting research relevant to policy makers on managing drug use and working to mentor junior faculty and students. Dr. Sketris is also a three-time recipient of the Dr. Jessie I. MacKnight Award for Excellence in Pharmacy Teaching at AV俱乐部.
Above all else, Dr. Sketris takes great pride in the work she脮s done with her students over the years. She takes her role as a mentor very seriously, and is co-author of a mentoring guide published by the College of Pharmacy. 脪The biggest impact that I脮ve had, I think, is on the students that I脮ve trained; when they go out into the field and implement the research and policy skills that they脮ve learned鈥� she says. Dr. Sketris keeps in touch with many of her former students, who work in hospitals, pharmacies, academia and public policy.