Geraldine Vance
CEO, BC Pharmacy Association
Geraldine began her career as a journalist, which led her to interview politicians and senior business leaders. Her interaction with Saskatchewan Premier Allan Blakeney resulted in her joining his staff as the very first woman to hold the position of press officer to a provincial cabinet. After leaving the premier’s office, she worked in communications consulting, for the premier’s office in B.C., and the Doctors of B.C. (previously the BC Medical Association) as the director of communications and public affairs. She joined the BC Pharmacy Association in January 2012 as the CEO.
Since 2013, the BC Pharmacy Association has been committed to exploring how community pharmacies should be the first and best place for pharmacogenomics testing (PGx testing) offered to the millions of patients taking the most often prescribed medications.
The BCPhA has worked in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Genome BC on a research project that determined PGx testing can be delivered in pharmacies both in urban and rural areas. As part of the project 29 community pharmacists in locations across B.C. participated and recruited 200 patients. A second phase of the project is underway.
In 2017 Association announced another step in the process toward making PGx testing widely available to Canadians. The BCPhA, through its commercial entity, RxOme Pharmacogenomics Canada Inc., entered into a joint venture agreement with myDNA Life Australia. As of March 2018, there are more than 120 pharmacy sites across Canada (80 in B.C.) offering the service, and more than 620 test kits have been sold.
Geraldine began her career as a journalist, which led her to interview politicians and senior business leaders. Her interaction with Saskatchewan Premier Allan Blakeney resulted in her joining his staff as the very first woman to hold the position of press officer to a provincial cabinet. After leaving the premier’s office, she worked in communications consulting, for the premier’s office in B.C., and the Doctors of B.C. (previously the BC Medical Association) as the director of communications and public affairs. She joined the BC Pharmacy Association in January 2012 as the CEO.
Since 2013, the BC Pharmacy Association has been committed to exploring how community pharmacies should be the first and best place for pharmacogenomics testing (PGx testing) offered to the millions of patients taking the most often prescribed medications.
The BCPhA has worked in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Genome BC on a research project that determined PGx testing can be delivered in pharmacies both in urban and rural areas. As part of the project 29 community pharmacists in locations across B.C. participated and recruited 200 patients. A second phase of the project is underway.
In 2017 Association announced another step in the process toward making PGx testing widely available to Canadians. The BCPhA, through its commercial entity, RxOme Pharmacogenomics Canada Inc., entered into a joint venture agreement with myDNA Life Australia. As of March 2018, there are more than 120 pharmacy sites across Canada (80 in B.C.) offering the service, and more than 620 test kits have been sold.
