The future is exciting: Hill

November 13, 2009

For the first time in his life, David Hill won’t be spending much of his free time on the ski hill.

By Mark Ferguson

The native of Vancouver grew up on the slopes of Grouse Mountain and nearby Whistler-Blackcomb. He moved to Utah for graduate studies at Brigham Young University, and then to Denver where he served as assistant dean for administration and clinical affairs at the University of Colorado. “Now, unfortunately, the mountains are a long ways away,” joked Hill, the new dean of the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition,

During an interview with On Campus News, Hill shared his vision for the college and the future of pharmacists and dietitians in Canada. As part of the changing health sciences, both professions will play a pivotal role in health care, he said.

Hobbies like skiing then, are not why Hill accepted the position at the U of S.

“The opportunities here, at the University of Saskatchewan, will help influence major national developments in the field and I can accomplish these things in my new position. Being a dean means setting your antenna out to a broad scope of both the university’s operations and the specific elements of your college. A dean must have a breadth of understanding, virtually everywhere.”

Hill began a five-year term in August and after only about three months in the job, he is starting to feel right at home. “The college and the university community have been so welcoming. It’s been a blast so far, and I have great support for the plans I have.”

 Those plans, he said, include preparing the college for accreditation in 2011, expanding its program to include more of a presence in the southern part of the province, providing more support for curriculum development and for faculty, and of course, enhancing the capacity for graduate studies and research.

The future for the only college that combines pharmacy and nutrition in Canada is exciting, he said, especially with the advent of the Academic Health Sciences project and the combination of multiple health disciplines working together in the field of health care to improve the lives of Saskatchewan people.

One of the biggest changes for pharmacists could be the authority to prescribe certain medications without a doctor’s prescription. British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick already allow pharmacists to deliver certain pharmaceuticals not on “narcotic” or “control drug” lists. Those require patients to visit the doctor first, explained Hill.

An example of how this might work, he said, would be giving pharmacists the ability to refill a prescription without the patient needing a new prescription. The idea is being considered here, added Hill, and Saskatchewan has developed legislation to become the fourth province to give prescription authority to pharmacists.

To keep these ideas and momentum rolling, Hill said he is right where he needs to be.

“I think a lot of universities talk a big game, but I get the sense that the University of Saskatchewan is committed to moving from talking to taking action.”