Jennifer Hawkes, NH Clinical Pharmacy Specialist co-authors winning national award for HIV care paper
A big congratulations to our own Jennifer Hawkes and the team of pharmacists from across Canada! Their paper, “Role of the pharmacist caring for people at risk of or living with HIV in Canada,” won the 2024 Best Paper Award from the Canadian Pharmacists Journal.
Jennifer has worked with Northern Health since 2004, starting with the hospital pharmacy residency program in Prince George. Since 2010, she has been a regional clinical pharmacy specialist in HIV care, and since 2016, has also worked in hepatitis C care. She has earned and maintained her American Academy of HIV Medicine Pharmacist credentialling since 2012.
“It’s exciting to see pharmacists being recognized for the important role we play,” said Jennifer. “We’re often the most accessible health care providers, especially in rural and remote areas.”
Jennifer helped write the section on HIV prevention, diagnosis, and linkage to care. She says the paper is a helpful guide for new pharmacists and students who want to learn more about HIV care.
Meet Dr. Debbie Kelly: Pharmacist of the Year
Another co-author, Dr. Debbie Kelly, was named the 2025 Canadian Pharmacist of the Year by the Canadian Pharmacists Association. Dr. Kelly is a pharmacist and professor at Memorial University’s School of Pharmacy. She has spent her career helping people with HIV and those in rural areas who may not have easy access to health care.
“Her work shows that pharmacists can be a gateway into the health system,” said the association. “They can offer testing, treatment, and support, for people who might otherwise be missed.”
Dr. Kelly led a study called APPROACH 2.0, which showed that pharmacists can successfully offer testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis, in pharmacies across Canada. She is now co-leading a project to bring more sexual health services into pharmacies to make care more accessible.
Making testing easier and care more accessible
Jennifer and her team have helped bring new testing options to Northern Health, including:
- Dried Blood Spot Testing (DBST) – a simple finger poke test that checks for HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis.
- On-demand STI testing – making it easier for people to get tested when they need it.
“We need more community sites to offer DBST,” Jennifer said. “It’s a great way to reach people who might not otherwise get tested.” More information for providers is available on the Northern Health health care provider resources page.
Progress in HIV awareness and testing
Since the Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention (STOP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) programs began in 2010, the number of people in BC who don’t know they have HIV has dropped from 25% to 14%. Jennifer says this is thanks to more awareness, routine testing, and easier ways to get tested.
In Northern Health, about 7 new HIV diagnoses happen each year. About half of those are late diagnoses or have no known risk factors, which shows why routine testing every five years is still important—even for healthy adults.
“This work is about people.”
For Jennifer, this work is personal.
“It’s about helping people feel safe, supported, and cared for,” she said. “We want to reduce stigma and make sure everyone has access to the care they need—no matter where they live.”
Read the paper: Role of the pharmacist caring for people at risk of or living with HIV in Canada.
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