With over 2.5 million Ontarians currently without a family doctor, the pharmacy is no longer just a place to pick up prescriptions—it is where health care must start. Yet, a significant regulatory bottleneck remains: while Ontario pharmacists can now administer a wider range of vaccines, they often lack the authority to prescribe them, forcing patients back into a strained primary care system for a simple signature.

How can we modernize our primary care system to ensure every Ontarian has equitable, “one-stop” access to life-saving immunizations? What does “unlocking the script” actually mean for patients in rural communities or those navigating private insurance?

In this episode of From the Burgundy Chairs, Santis Health Senior Vice President, National Practice Lead, Management Consulting  and former Physician Dr. Brendan Carr explores the strategic shift needed to position the local pharmacist as a vital clinical partner.

Dr. Carr is joined by a panel of experts leading this charge including: Angeline Ng, VP of Professional Affairs at the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA); Dr. Paul Jones of Arthur Family Practice and Arthur Travel Health; and Antonella Pucci, Manager of Immunization Initiatives at the Canadian Public Health Association.

Together, they discuss reframing prescriptive authority as a tool to reduce the burden on physicians and close the immunization gaps—such as Ontario’s stalled HPV vaccination rates—that leave too many Canadians behind.

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Angeline Ng, Vice President of Professional Affairs, Ontario Pharmacists Association

Angeline is Vice President of Professional Affairs at the Ontario Pharmacists Association. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and a Registered Pharmacist with the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Throughout her career, Angeline has worked across a wide range of pharmacy settings including community pharmacy, long-term care pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and teaching. In her current role, she advances the pharmacy profession through advocacy, practice support, continuing education, and research, helping  pharmacy professionals fully leverage their expertise in patient care.

Antonella Pucci, Manager, Immunization Initiatives, Canadian Public Health Association

Antonella Pucci is the Manager, Immunization Initiatives at the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA). She is responsible for managing Immunize Canada (a national coalition promoting the understanding and use of vaccines approved for use in Canada with reference to the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Antonella has been at CPHA since September 2019 when she accepted a position as a Project Officer with the CANVax project (an online database of curated resources to support public health professionals in improving vaccine acceptance and uptake in Canada). She now leads an immunization team of three people and focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of immunization activities (such as knowledge translation resources for health professionals and the public, campaigns, and stakeholder relations). Antonella has a Master of Arts in Communication from Carleton University with specialization in public health and vaccine promotion. Her thesis focused on the redemption narratives of former anti-vax mothers and how they can be used to promote vaccine confidence. Her interests include public health narratives, debunking misinformation, and increasing vaccine access.

Dr. Paul Jones, Physician and Frontline Immunizer, Arthur Family Practice and Arthur Travel Health

Dr. Paul Jones is a rural family physician and frontline immunizer based in Ontario, Canada. He provides full-scope cradle-to-grave family medicine, with a special interest in travel medicine and vaccines. His work focuses on disease prevention, adult immunization, and improving real-world vaccine implementation. Dr. Jones is recognized as a vaccine systems thinker who bridges clinical reality and strategy. He works at the interface of frontline care, public health, and industry, advising on immunization programs, implementation pathways, and strategies to improve adult vaccine access. His perspective is grounded in daily clinical practice, where vaccination is not an abstract recommendation, but a concrete intervention that protects individual patients and communities. He is particularly interested in respiratory and arboviral diseases, and in the immunology of adjuvant systems. His work emphasizes pragmatic implementation, system design, and ensuring that effective preventive tools reach the people who need them.