Pharmacist Aileen Jang receives U of A Alumni Honour award

Aileen Jang is an alumna of the University of Alberta, as well as the current owner of Medi-Drugs in Edmonton. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy in 1983. On October 24, she received an Alumni Honour Award for contributions to her profession and the community.

Receiving an alumni award is an honour, Jang said. “It’s just amazing.”

As a pharmacist, Jang said she tries to serve her community to the best of her abilities. At 18, Jang was unsure of what career path she wanted to pursue. Following a recommendation from her mother, Jang applied for pharmacy at the U of A. This was a decision that Jang did not come to appreciate until after her degree was finished. 

“Every year I’d say ‘I don’t know, I don’t think this is me,’” Jang said. She explained that she did not set foot in a pharmacy until her fourth year. Fortunately, Jang said, this was when she fell in love with pharmacy. She said she particularly loved the social aspect of the job.

“It was just magic that first week,” Jang said.

Millcreek Medi-Drugs location now focuses on harm reduction, Jang says

One of Jang’s passions is working with pharmacy students and teaching them more about the profession. 

“I love working with the students. They bring a lot of ideas, enthusiasm, [and] passion to keep me excited about this profession and moving forward,” Jang said. 

According to Jang, she tries to enable her pharmacists to take initiative. The Millcreek Medi-Drugs location now has a focus on harm reduction. Harm reduction is an initiative to help those who use drugs to be as safe as possible. This location also has a focus on transgender care.

Pharmacist initiatives are especially important to Jang, as she said doctors are becoming more of a scarcity in Alberta. Jang thinks that pharmacy is evolving, and with more training, pharmacists are starting “to feel like a primary health care provider.”

According to Jang, this is due to the amount of people unable to see a primary care doctor, as well as the increasing workload of Alberta’s doctors. 

One way Jang hopes to ensure that “nobody slips through the cracks” is by offering human papillomavirus (HPV) screening kits at her pharmacies. This is so her patrons can easily access screenings without needing to see a doctor.

“Everybody who comes in our store, I know them by name and know what they need,” Jang says

Jang is especially passionate about her patrons. She tries to create connections with them whenever she can, she said. 

“I don’t know of any other pharmacies where customers will say at the end of a call, ‘love you!'” Jang said.

This is a standard that she applies when hiring new staff as well. “If I’m hiring somebody, I’m not looking at your GPA. I need someone who can communicate effectively and make that connection with their patient. Because they’ll get better care that way,” Jang said.

“Everybody who comes in our store, I know them by name and know what they need.”