Enhancing Pharmacy-Based Interventions for Extreme Heat Vulnerabilities in Older Adults

When:
July 15, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Where:
Digital Delivery (Zoom Webinar)

The 2021 heat dome in B.C. led to 619 heat-related death - many among older adults - underscoring the critical need to strengthen the pharmacy role in extreme heat preparedness and response. This webinar explores how pharmacists can help reduce heat-related health risks by identifying vulnerable populations, understanding medication-related heat risks, and providing targeted counselling. It also emphasizes using routine pharmacy interactions to deliver heat safety education and collaborating with healthcare and public health partners to support at-risk individuals.

Learning Objectives

This presentation includes the following learning objectives:

  • Recognize vulnerable populations: comorbidities and the social determinants of health
  • Understand pharmacological risks of extreme heat events
  • Apply clinical knowledge to patient counselling
  • Leverage medication deliveries and point-of-care interactions
  • Promote access to 8-1-1 and community supports

About the Speakers

Audrey Melanie Hempel is a clinical pharmacist with international experience in the practice of pharmacy in both Germany and Canada.  She is an experienced facilitator working in the hospital settings & the health care industry. Melanie is skilled in public speaking, Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), and pharmacy. Melanie graduated from Memorial University with a Doctor of Pharmacy , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg with a master’s degree in health business administration, and UBC with a bachelor’s in pharmacy. Melanie is currently a Clinical Instructor at UBC and Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist at VCH – Three Bridges Hub.

Matthew Brown currently works as a Community Health Specialist with Fraser Health and focuses on prioritizing effective community level health interventions to promote strategic and scalable public health outcomes.  Matthew received his MSc. and BSc. from UBC.  Upon graduation he worked with Toronto Metro University [Ryerson University], the University of Public Health in Hanoi and the National Institute of Nutrition in Vietnam where he implemented public health projects funded by Global Affairs Canada.  He has published a number of papers regarding health policy and nutrition and is currently a clinical instructor at UBC.

Registration Information

A BCPhA account is required to register for this event. If you do not have a login account or if you are unsure if you have a login, please fill out the Account Creation Form and a member of the BCPhA team will contact you. Accounts can be created free of charge with valid College registration.

Registration closes an hour prior to the start of the webinar, at 5:00 PM. On the day of the webinar, you will receive a link to the webinar by email. The email will come from noreply@zoom.us and could be in your junk folder.