Biographies of Saskatchewan Branch Leaders
Robert E. McDermit
Robert McDermit received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in May 1957 and he spent one year as an Instructor in Pharmacy at the College. He served as Chief Pharmacist at Notre Dame Hospital in North Battleford and Pharmacy Consultant with the Northwest Regional Hospital Council from 1958 to 1961. Mr. McDermit was Director of Pharmacy and then Assistant Administrator at the Regina Grey Nuns Hospital from 1961 to 1967. He served as Administrator of the Wascana Division of the South Saskatchewan Hospital Centre for three years prior to taking the position as Director of Education with the Saskatchewan Hospital Association.
Bob left Saskatchewan in 1971 to take the position as General Manager and Vice President of Gordon A. Friesen Canada Ltd., a health care consulting firm in Calgary. One of his duties was to develop a health care plan for the Northwest Territories. His report was so good that the Northwest Territories Government invited him to implement the plan. He eventually became Director of the Department of Health for the Government of the Northwest Territories. In 1979, he accepted the position of Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Health in Victoria, British Columbia and then served a six year term as President of the UBC Health Sciences Centre Hospital in Vancouver until 1987.
Mr. McDermit served as President of the Sask. Branch, CSHP in 1960 - 61 and President of CSHP National in 1963 - 64.
He was elected President of the Canadian College of Health Service Executives in 1975 and he was a Fellow of that organization as well as the American College of Hospital Administrators.
Bob McDermit distinguished himself as a dynamic leader in hospital pharmacy and subsequently health care administration at a time when there were significant changes occurring. He personally played a major leadership role in those developments, both in Saskatchewan and at the national level. It was a great loss to hospital pharmacy when Bob passed away suddenly in 1990 at the young age of 57.
Jack Leslie Summers
Jack Summers received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in 1949 and he immediately became a full-time instructor at the College. He received a Masters of Science in Hospital Pharmacy from the University of Iowa in 1952. In 1954, Jack became the first Director of Pharmaceutical Services at the new University Hospital in Saskatoon, a position he held until 1963.
Jack was appointed as Editor of the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy in 1961 and for the next twenty years, he produced 190 editorials that were "must reading" for even the busiest hospital pharmacist. His editorials established an international reputation for light heartedly identifying our deficiencies and pointing the direction for hospital pharmacy in the future.
In 1963, Jack was promoted to Full Professor in the College of Pharmacy and the University Hospital also promoted him to Assistant Director responsible for Medical Services. Three years later, Jack returned to full time academic life. He immediately decided research was needed in hospital pharmacy practice. From 1968 to 1971, he was the Research Director of a National Health Research and Development Grant "Development of Computer-Assisted Unit Dose Drug Distribution Systems" which laid the groundwork for modern day drug distribution systems throughout North America.
In 1975, the Government of the province implemented the Saskatchewan Prescription Drug Plan and Jack Summers was appointed the first Executive Director on a part-time basis to implement the program. No one but Jack could have accomplished the smooth development of that controversial drug plan in such a short period of time.
Jack's contributions to professional pharmacy organizations are unique. He is the only person ever to serve as President of the three primary Canadian pharmacy organizations - the Canadian Pharmaceutical (Pharmacists) Association, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists and the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada. He was an Honorary Member of all those associations as well as the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
Jack served with the Canadian Armored Division during the Second World War and was awarded a Military Cross. He subsequently rose to the rank of Brigadier General and Commander of the Prairie Militia Area.
In spite of all these accomplishments, Jack's first love was to teach of students how to be leaders in pharmacy. He was famous for his "It all depends" approach which truly typifies professional responsibility.
Jack Summers passed away on January 26, 1994.
Betty Corrine Riddell
Betty Riddell was awarded her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in 1949. In 1962, she received a Certificate in Business Administration from the College on Commerce at the same institution. Following graduation, Betty maintained an active pharmacy practice, primarily in hospital pharmacy.
Betty's career as a pharmacist began at Moose Jaw Drug and Stationery. In 1950 she moved to Lethbridge, Alberta to become Director of Pharmacy at Galt Hospital and later, at Lethbridge Municipal Hospital.
Betty joined the staff at the Royal University Hospital in 1959 and served in various pharmacy positions: Staff Pharmacist; Senior Pharmacist; Assistant Director; and Associate Director until she became Director of Pharmaceutical Services at that institution in 1991. Betty was Director of the hospital's pharmacy residency program and she was actively involved in teaching at the University of Saskatchewan. She was Clinical Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy and gave many lectures in the College of Nursing.
Betty has been an active member of the Saskatchewan Branch of CSHP for over 40 years. She served as President of the Sask. Branch in 1970 and she was National CSHP President in 1974. Betty served as Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy from 1962 - 1981. Betty is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists and she chaired the Board of Fellows from 1986 - 88.
Betty was presented with the CSHP Ortho Award in 1980, the CSHP (Sask. Branch) J.L. Summers Award in 1988 and she was the first recipient of the Betty C. Riddell Award named in her honor by the Saskatchewan Branch.
Betty was the hospital pharmacy representative on the Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association for many years and she served as President of SPhA in 1989-90. She was a member of the CPhA Board of Directors and also Speaker of the CPhA Council of Delegates. Betty has received Honorary Life Memberships in the Canadian Pharmacists Association, the Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
Betty has provided outstanding service to the profession in clinical, academic, administrative and organizational responsibilities throughout her career.
Orest Buchko
Orest Buchko received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in 1955. Orest served his pharmacy apprenticeship at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and became a staff pharmacist at that institution in 1956. Pharmacy Director Jack Summers immediately recognized Orest's administrative skills and he became Assistant Director of Pharmaceutical Services one year later. Mr. Buchko was appointed Director of Pharmaceutical Services in 1963 and provided outstanding leadership in that capacity until his retirement in 1991. It was under his direction that the first hospital-wide decentralized unit dose system was established and many other unique innovations were implemented during that period. He also was instrumental in establishing and leading the hospital pharmacy residency program as well as serving as Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at the College for over twenty years.
Mr. Buchko was President of the Saskatchewan Branch, CSHP in 1963-64 and National President of CSHP in 1967. Orest served as Business Manager and Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy from 1961 - 1981. He was the CSHP Sask. Branch representative on the Council of the Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association for many years. He is an Honorary Life Member of the Saskatchewan Pharmaceutical Association (now Sask. College of Pharmacists) and he was the recipient of the CSHP Ortho Award in 1976.
Orest's entire pharmacy career was served at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and it was during those 36 years that many of the major modern approaches to hospital pharmacy practice and education were established in the Department of Pharmaceutical Services.
Biographies prepared by Dr. J. Blackburn
