Meet the Toronto pharmacy owner empowering Black health - care leaders

nowtoronto.com · Feb 24, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

Full Article

Ezurike is a pharmacist and an associate owner of four Shoppers Drug Marts in the GTA. Posted 10 minutes agoEva Zhu Nneka Ezurike is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and community leader. Nneka Ezurike didn’t plan on having a career in pharmacy. She originally wanted to pursue medicine. But after receiving a serendipitous opportunity to take over the Shoppers Drug Mart where she was working as a staff pharmacist, she never looked back. Over 15 years later, she’s now the associate owner of four Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Toronto. For Ezurike, being a pharmacist is more than just filling prescriptions — it means equity, trust and influence. She wants to provide culturally appropriate care and help close the gap with healthcare access. “We are really uniquely positioned as pharmacists to influence or have a great impact when it comes to closing the gap with access and continuity of care, to help patient outcomes in the health-care system,” she tells Now Toronto. Black Pharmacy Professionals of Canada “As the Black population continues to grow in Canada, the profession really needs to affect the communities it serves and also be equipped to address health disparities rooted in anti-Black racism by providing culturally appropriate care.” To address the underrepresentation of Black pharmacy professionals in Canada, Ezurike co-founded the Black Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (BPPC). She says her organization strives to support mentorship and leadership development and to help build a pharmacy profession that can provide culturally appropriate care to her community. The first few months were tough. Ezurike worked to make people more aware of her organization and gain the support of various stakeholders. But things have been on the up-and-up in the last two years. “More people are becoming more aware and we’re getting more support. A true testament of that was our first conference we held last year at the University of Waterloo. Almost 135 attendees attended in person,” she says. This month, Ezurike held BPPC’s second conference, bringing together pharmacy professionals, from students to international pharmacy graduates, community and health-care leaders, and industry stakeholders. Participants engaged in meaningful dialogue, professional development and community building. “This year’s conference was really focused on empowering Black pharmacy professionals, cultivating leadership and engaging in meaningful dialogue to help shape the pharmacy profession and health care as a whole.” Future goals Over the next five years, Ezurike envisions equitable representation of Black pharmacy professionals in schools and in leadership positions and work with advocacy organizations and regulatory bodies “to help minimize some of the barriers that Black pharmacy professionals face.” “I also hope for a future where pharmacists and health-care professionals are better equipped to provide culturally appropriate care to our community,” she explains. For young Black pharmacist hopefuls, Ezurike advises them to seek mentorship and surround themselves with supportive people. “I wish I had a mentor early on in my career. Unfortunately, I didn’t until much later, and even when it was much later in my career, the amount of things that I learned was eye opening,” she says. “Step out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They’re going to happen, but learn from your mistakes and continue to grow and learn new skills.”