What is a Pharmacy U Masterclass?

Pharmacy U has brought pharmacists together across Canada for over a decade. Now, we're introducing a brand new experience: Masterclasses. Our new training workshops bring together a small group of pharmacists and a top-tier pharmacist coach to do a deep dive on one critical topic. We'll spend one day together, exploring how to address patient needs, running through case studies, and setting you up to be your best self. You'll walk away with the sense of inspiration you've come to expect from Pharmacy U conferences, paired with actionable insights that will take your practice to the next level.

COACH

Dr. David Macklin

November 27th Masterclass Topic:

Building Therapeutic Relationships: Quick, Evidence-Based Conversations for Obesity Management in Community Pharmacy 

By the end of this program, pharmacists will be able to engage in brief, expert, relationship-building discussions to effectively:

  • Counter internalized weight bias: Quickly explain the pathophysiology of obesity as a chronic, progressive disease—including the roles of genetics, neurohormonal mechanisms, and the obesogenic environment—and reframe it as a treatable condition that's not someone's fault, using motivational interviewing to foster trust in short pharmacy encounters. 
  • Address appetite dysregulation: Simply and effectively explain appetite as the central physiological symptom of obesity and the role of GLP-1 medications in managing it, providing empathetic strategies to help patients recognize and mitigate triggers during quick interactions. 
  • Set realistic expectations: Guide patients toward achievable weight management goals, including the "best weight" concept, through concise counseling that highlights health benefits (e.g., 5-10% weight loss) while respecting lifestyle realities, to build motivation and rapport. 
  • Manage perceived setbacks: Help patients understand the impact of perceived setbacks on obesity treatment motivation and sustained behavior change, applying cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to reframe them as normal and surmountable in empathetic, time-efficient conversations. 
  • Optimize pharmacotherapy and adherence: Provide comprehensive guidance on obesity medications—including their rationale, indications, safety profiles, side effects, usage, dosing, and evaluations—while improving adherence through repeated reinforcement of points 1-4 in ongoing, trust-building pharmacy discussions.