Debbie Kelly

Dr. Debbie Kelly is a Professor and Special Advisor for Practice Innovation at Memorial University's School of Pharmacy, where she also serves as Director of the Medication Therapy Services Clinic (MTS Clinic). She holds cross-appointments with the Faculty of Medicine and Eastern Health's Provincial HIV Program, functioning as Clinical Pharmacotherapy Specialist to the provincial HIV program.

Dr. Kelly's educational background includes:

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Memorial University (1996)
• Hospital pharmacy residency from Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre in Halifax (1997)
• Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Toronto (1999)

Dr. Kelly established Newfoundland and Labrador's first pharmacist clinic (the MTS Clinic) in 2016 and has built a significant research program around pharmacist scope of practice, collaborative care models, and health outcomes. Her work focuses on optimizing medication use, deprescribing, and expanding pharmacists' roles in HIV care, sexual health services, and point-of-care testing. A pivotal moment in her career came in 2009 when she co-established Canada's first nurse practitioner-pharmacist-led HIV clinic following the province's loss of its only infectious disease physician.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on evaluating pharmacist-led models for HIV prevention, sexual health services, and medication optimization, particularly in rural and underserved communities where up to a third of patients lack family doctors. The research consistently shows pharmacists can effectively expand access to care, reduce emergency department visits, and improve health outcomes.

Dr. Kelly has received numerous prestigious awards, including:

• 2025 Canadian Pharmacist of the Year from the Canadian Pharmacists Association
• 2025 Canadian Pharmacists Journal Best Paper of the Year
• 2024 James C. Quick Award
• 2020 CNIE Award of Merit for Excellence in Instructional Design
• Multiple Bristol Myers Squibb Excellence in Pharmaceutical Teaching awards

She actively mentors PhD and Master's students working on projects related to hepatitis C testing, HIV services, and deprescribing. Her research is supported by significant CIHR grants including ACCESS-Rx, APPROACH 2.0, and CTN+.

Dr. Kelly is currently focused on scaling the MTS Clinic model across Newfoundland and Labrador, integrating pharmacists into public health testing systems, and advocating for expanded pharmacist scope of practice aligned with their education to address healthcare gaps, particularly in rural communities.