Sherif Guorgui a voice for pharmacists on CFP Board

AUGUST 2022 – As a board member since 2017, Sherif Guorgui applies his business acumen and passion for pharmacy to help guide decisions at the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy. Here he tells us why the Foundation is particularly important to him and why he hopes more pharmacy professionals will recognize its value.

Tell us a little about your professional experience to date.

I am a third-generation pharmacist and have been an active member of the community—and the profession—for more than two decades. Having worked and served on boards in both the public and private sectors, I have experience in for-profit and non-for-profit organizations, including unionized and non-unionized practice environments. I have pharmacy expertise in retail, specialty, regulatory and advocacy.

Previously I was an independent pharmacy owner and associate/franchise owner, in addition to holding progressive corporate leadership roles with various chains in Canada. Currently, I am the co-CEO and Chief Strategy, Stakeholder and Government Relations Officer at OnPharm-United, a network of more than 600 pharmacies, dedicated to supporting and advancing independent pharmacy in Ontario.

Why is it important to you to be part of CFP?

CFP is truly a unique organization in that it’s the profession’s only charity and largest funder of practice research in Canada. In fact, since its inception in 1945, CFP has granted more than $2 million to fund pharmacy research and innovative models of practice to support the advancement of the profession—even throughout a continuously changing and evolving landscape. The results of these initiatives are often used to inform advocacy efforts with policy makers and payers to expand pharmacy scope and secure fair reiumbursement. 

CFP is also the publisher of Pharmacy Management in Canada, the only textbook of its kind dedicated to pharmacy management since 1998. It is an invaluable resource that provides timely content written and reviewed by more than 100 experts from across the country. Periodically, the Foundation also hosts educational webinars and forums that address emerging matters and innovation in the industry. 

What do you hope to accomplish with CFP going forward?

From a general perspective, my goal is to continue to work in collaboration with my colleagues on the board to help deliver on CFP’s mission, vision and strategic objectives. From a personal perspective, I ultimately hope that CFP becomes top of mind for every pharmacy professional across Canada—and that it’s on everyone’s annual list for charitable giving.

Any final thoughts?

The work that CFP does for the profession is invaluable. I would encourage everyone to make a small donation because the more support CFP receives, the more projects it can fund and the more benefits the profession will reap. A donation to CFP truly is an investment in pharmacy.