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If you call OPA’s Drug Information and Research Centre (DIRC) seeking information, the person who answers your question might very well be Karina Malak. Malak has been a full-time drug information pharmacist at DIRC since 2003, and it’s a job she’s passionate about. “My primary function is to answer the questions of pharmacists as they deal with their daily activities in order to provide the proper care and rational therapy,” says Malak. “I love it! I personally thrive on learning, and drug information allows me to experience this. Not only that, but I transfer information to knowledge, and then [make] the knowledge relevant and offer solutions. It’s a unique position that offers research with quick rewards.” Malak knew in high school thatshe wanted to be a pharmacist. “I had a strong interest in biological sciences and humanitarian sciences, so I thought a pharmacy career would be a nice way of combining the two,” she says. In 1975, Malak graduated from pharmacy school in Cairo, where she was born. She and her husband, Brad, who is also a pharmacist, moved to Canada in 1980. Before joining DIRC, Malak gained experience in other areas of pharmacy, including quality assurance, medical information, drug safety and medical writing. She has expertise in several therapeutic areas, including psychiatry, hormone replacement, cardiovascular health, neurology and respirology. Malak still does medical writing and also counsels patients through Telehealth Ontario. At DIRC, she helps facilitate educational programs and is an affiliate mentor for new employees. Malak became a member of OPA in 2000 after learning what the Association does on pharmacists’ behalf. “For example, the Association encourages an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists, and this is very exciting,” she says. “I’m proud of being part of the organization that does that——it’s a rare opportunity. The function of pharmacists is changing, the external environment is changing, and it’s very important to be at the leading edge of these changes and have a voice in how the future of pharmacists will be shaped.” She hopes the changes will include more compensation for pharmacists for cognitive functions. “This is happening now, but I’d like to see us positioned to offer that service in a more primary way. I’d like MedsCheck to expand to include more chronic disease management—— a critical component to the function of pharmacy,” says Malak. “I’d also like to integrate our expertise with the function of physicians and allied health professionals and see pharmacists’ prescribing where appropriate. Most of all, I’d like the public to clearly understand the expertise of pharmacists and what we can offer.” Malak, who lives in Oakville, enjoys spending time with friends and family. She has many hobbies, including poetry writing, and says that her work at DIRC is a great source of satisfaction. “I thrive on my job, really! I thrive on the fact that you can learn as much as you want and you’re on the leading edge of drug therapy,” says Malak. “I like to feel that I’m helping my colleagues and patients, who, of course, are the ultimate Customers