Barbara Farrell

Dr. Barbara Farrell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and holds an adjunct position at the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy. She is a Senior Scientist at the Bruyère Research Institute and a clinician in the Bruyère Geriatric Day Hospital. Her work focuses on deprescribing guidelines, polypharmacy management, and knowledge translation in aging populations. Dr. Farrell retired from her prior clinical role at Bruyere Continuing Care but remains active in academic and clinical research.

Education: B.Sc. in Pharmacy (1986) and Doctor of Pharmacy (1994), both from the University of Toronto. Completed a pharmacy residency at Chedoke-McMaster Hospital.

Research interests include geriatric pharmacotherapy, shared decision-making frameworks, and innovative interprofessional approaches to medication management. She pioneered deprescribing.org, a resource for evidence-based deprescribing guidelines, and co-led primary care pharmacist integration projects in Canada. Key achievements include the Canadian Pharmacist of the Year (2011) and CIHR Betty Havens Prize (2019).

Her publications emphasize deprescribing outcomes, guideline development, and qualitative studies on healthcare decision-making. She has contributed to over 60 peer-reviewed articles and actively participates in national and international deprescribing networks.