— Photo supplied by Asad Kashani
More health professionals are watching the city fade in their rearview mirror as they crave a balanced work and personal life in rural Alberta.
Asad Kashani, RhPAP’s newest board member, is a prime example.
He and his wife, Neda, moved to rural Alberta 12 years ago when he was offered the role of pharmacy manager in Sylvan Lake, after working for a few years as a pharmacist in Vancouver.
It was a big move for the couple who had never been to Alberta, but not nearly as far as their emigration from Iran in 2012. In Vancouver, Kashani completed the pharmacy bridging program at the University of British Columbia after earning his doctorate in Iran six years earlier.
“I came home, told my wife, ‘Hey, this is it. It pays better. Should we try it?’” he recalled of their conversation about relocating to the community of Sylvan Lake in central Alberta.
“We thought, ‘You know what? We moved thousands of kilometres from a different country; another thousand kilometres is not going to kill us.’ That was our rationale.”
“So, we packed our stuff, got a U-Haul, drove there, and that’s it.”
After living and working for three years in Sylvan Lake, Kashani was offered an opportunity to become a pharmacy franchisee owner in Lloydminster, a community of 31,500 people that straddles both the Alberta and Saskatchewan borders.
Today, he owns two pharmacies in Lloydminster and two more in St. Paul, about an hour and a half away.
Kashani is the first pharmacist to serve on the RhPAP board, and he is excited to have the opportunity to help influence rural healthcare.
“It’s a kind of natural extension of that commitment for me. I saw an opportunity to represent and showcase the pharmacy perspective and being sure that rural communities benefit from the full potential of pharmacists, who are among the most accessible health professions,” he says.
Kashani also sits as a pharmacist councillor at the Alberta College of Pharmacy, and he hopes that this position, coupled with his new RhPAP role, will bring awareness to how pharmacists can often help with healthcare challenges, including reducing costs.
In some cases, people turn to the emergency department as a last resort when they can’t reach a doctor. Kashani says those costs could be reduced if, in some cases, pharmacists can fill the gap.
“Let’s say there’s a problem with your medication and you want to get a hold of your physician. It’s highly unlikely that you will be able to see your family doctor within the next week or so,” he says, acknowledging there can be long waits for appointments.
“I’m biased about my profession, but we’re the first line that can be reached by the patients, like any time, seven days a week. We can try to figure out a solution, or even contact a physician, but kind of solve the problem for the patient.
“Our scope is getting bigger and we’re able to manage so many minor ailments or even chronic diseases to a certain degree, of course, and that has helped.”
Kashani also believes in helping to attract and retain health professionals in rural Alberta. He promotes his community while mentoring pharmacy students and says his work is paying off as more consider careers in Lloydminster.
He understands firsthand that transitioning from an urban to rural life has its challenges. While the pharmacist has worked in both a city and a smaller community in Iran, he never lived in a rural location until he moved to Sylvan Lake.
Kashani admits his integration initially took some effort, but he says through education and building trust, the family has made many friends in the community. He is now a father to two girls Sophie, 7, and Jana, 6.
“The kids were both born here in Lloyd, so I feel that sense of commitment to this town.”
Now whenever the family returns home from a trip, they look forward to spotting the familiar green road sign bearing the name, Lloydminster.
“As soon as it’s coming, we sigh and think, ‘OK, we are home.’”