Sherilyn Houle
BSP, PhD, AFTM RCPS(Glasg)
Certificate in Travel Health™
Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy
University of Waterloo
Dr. Sherilyn Houle's research interests are on the roles, outcomes, and uptake of pharmacy practice to full scope, with particular interest in the clinical areas of vaccinations and travel health. Dr. Houle is also a regular provider of continuing professional development programs across topics including injection technique, vaccine hesitancy, travel medicine, and vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, herpes zoster (shingles), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), meningococcal disease, and pneumococcal disease. She is the chair-elect of the Pharmacist Professional Group with the International Society of Travel Medicine, a member of the Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee, and a member of the Scientific Board of Travel Health Xpert.
Research Interests
Using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, Sherilyn and her team study the implementation and impact of pharmacy practice to full scope, including:
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Practice-based research
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Systematic reviews
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Analyses of administrative and other real-world data
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Surveys, interviews, and focus groups
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Economic analyses
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While her focus is in the clinical areas of vaccinations and travel medicine, she has also studied the uptake and outcomes of:
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Pharmacist prescribing for chronic disease management
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Pharmacist prescribing for minor ailments
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Clinical decision support tools for prescribing for older adults with kidney disease
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Clinical resource use by health professionals in evaluating the appropriateness of medication use in lactation
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Regulation and discipline of health professionals
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Geographic distribution of pharmacists relative to population distribution
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Home medication reviews by pharmacists
VaxCare Innovations is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 2024 to improve vaccine awareness, confidence, equitable access, and uptake through technology, vaccine decision support tools, education, and research. The goal of this work is to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases by equipping health professionals and the public with the tools and knowledge they need to make evidence-based decisions about life-course vaccinations.
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Directors of VaxCare Innovations:
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Molly Yang, PharmD, RPh. Chief Innovation Officer
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Nancy M. Waite, PharmD, FCCP. Chief Strategy Officer
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Sherilyn K.D. Houle, BSP, PhD, CTH, AFTM RCPS(Glasg). Chief Scientific Officer
Additional details coming soon!
Continuing Education Partners
In collaboration with provider partners, Sherilyn has contributed to the development and delivery of over 100 continuing professional development programs in topics related to vaccination, travel health, and pharmacy practice to full scope for pharmacist, pharmacy technician, nurse, and physician audiences
Research Funders
As Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator, Sherilyn has secured over $1.2 million in research funding from government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry (as unrestricted research grants*).
*Unrestricted grant means any gift, payment, subsidy, or other economic benefit to an educational institution, professional association, health care facility, or governmental entity which does not impose any restrictions on the use of the grant, such as favorable treatment of a certain product or an ability of the marketer to control or influence the planning, content, or execution of the education activity (https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/unrestricted-grant)