My name is Emily Allan, and I am a third-year pharmacy student at the University of Manitoba. I had the opportunity to work as a summer student in the Professional and Regulatory Affairs (P&R) department at the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA).

What did your typical workday consist of?

My day-to-day varied throughout my time at NAPRA, providing exposure to a wide range of projects and initiatives. Most days began with a P&R team meeting where we checked in with one another, discussed workloads, and planned for upcoming projects and meetings.

Following the morning meeting, I spent the remainder of the day working on a variety of tasks including conducting research, reviewing documents, and drafting written materials. I also had the opportunity to attend various meetings throughout my time at NAPRA, including organization-wide staff meetings, pharmacy regulatory authority (PRA) roundtable discussions, and compounding-related meetings. These experiences provided valuable insight into the collaborative nature of pharmacy regulation and the diverse work undertaken by NAPRA.

What projects did you work on?

During my time at NAPRA, I contributed to several key projects within the P&R department.

I supported the June 2026 National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee (NDSAC) meeting. My role included reviewing background materials to prepare for the meeting, reading and summarizing articles submitted by committee members, and attending the meeting. I also assisted with preparations for the upcoming September 2026 NDSAC meeting by conducting background research and performing literature searches for clinical trials and case studies.

I also contributed to the ongoing revisions of NAPRA’s model documents for PRA use on non-sterile and sterile compounding standards. My responsibilities included attending meetings with external consultants, conducting research on relevant topics, and supporting the document revision process.

In addition, I conducted an environmental scan to assess the implementation of continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs and medication incident reporting (MIR) requirements across Canada’s PRAs. This involved determining whether each PRA had adopted guidance provided from NAPRA’s model document for PRA use on CQI-MIR.

Other responsibilities included conducting research to support responses to external inquiries and reviewing consultation documents distributed by Health Canada.

What was your favourite part of the position?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at NAPRA and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the regulation of pharmacy practice in Canada. The whole team at NAPRA has been incredibly welcoming, supportive, and generous in sharing their knowledge, making the experience both enjoyable and educational.

Some of my favorite moments working at NAPRA include attending the June NDSAC meeting as well as attending a PRA roundtable discussion. It was very interesting observing the regulatory authorities across Canada collaborate, share knowledge, and discuss the evolving issues and challenges facing pharmacy practice across the country. These experiences provided valuable insight into the important role that collaboration and regulation play in supporting safe and effective pharmacy practice nationwide.