Who We Are
Dr. Robert Rangno, M.D., FRCP(C)
Emeritus Professor, Departments of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Medicine, UBC
Dr. Robert Rangno received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, in 1963 and a MSc. in Pharmacology from the same university in 1967. From 1963 to 1968, he did his internship at the Winnipeg General Hospital and residency at the Montreal General Hospital (McGill University) where he obtained his fellowship in Internal Medicine. From 1970 to 1972 he did Clinical Pharmacology research at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, and returned to the Montreal General Hospital where he joined the Clinical Pharmacology Unit. At that time he became Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit. He started as Assistant Professor, later promoted to Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill University. In 1982 he moved to Vancouver, BC and became Head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at St. Paul’s Hospital and Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. James McCormack, B.Sc.(Pharm.), Pharm.D.
Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC
Dr. James McCormack received his undergraduate pharmacy degree at the University of British Columbia in 1982 and completed a hospital pharmacy residency program at Lion’s Gate Hospital in North Vancouver in 1984. He received his doctorate in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) in 1986 from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. He has had extensive experience, both locally and internationally, talking to health professionals and consumers about the rational use of medication, has presented over 300 seminars on drug therapy over the last 15 years. His focus is shared-informed decision-making using evidence based information and rational therapeutic principles. In addition, he has published over 100 articles in the medical literature, mainly in the area of rational drug therapy and has been an editor for two internationally recognized textbooks on appropriate/rational drug therapy.
Dr. Adil Virani, B.Sc.(Pharm.), Pharm.D., FCSHP
Director, Pharmacy Services, Fraser Health Authority, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC, President-Elect, Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, BC Branch
Adil Virani graduated with his Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from University of British Columbia in 1992 and 1997 respectively. He also holds a certificate in Leadership Development from St. Mary’s University in Halifax, NS and is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. He has worked in many settings and facilities, including several universities, psychiatric and forensic institutions as well as general and pediatric hospitals in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. He has spent the majority of his clinical practice in the area of psychiatry. As a Director with Pharmacy Services at Fraser Health, Vancouver Costal Health, Providence Health Care and Provincial Health Services Authority, he is responsible for the Professional Practice portfolio, Residency and Student Education, Academic Detailling and pharmacy operations at Burnaby Hospital. He is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the UBC. Here, he co-coordinates a therapeutics course to third year pharmacy students and lectures on various psychiatric and evidence based practice topics to undergraduate students and psychiatry residents in the Faculty of Medicine. He has over 30 publications and has delivered over 100 presentations. He is the lead editor of a 372 page book entitled the Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs, which is now in its 18th edition and is the 2009 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year. He also co-wrote a similar handbook for children and adolescents. In addition’s to his role on the Education Working Group of the Therapeutics Initiative, he is a core member of the Canadian Optimal Medication Prescribing and Utilization Service (COMPUS) Expert Review Committee and a member of the Human Drug Advisory Panel (HDAP) of the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board (PMPRB).
Dr. G. Michael Allan, M.D., CCFP
Associate Professor and the Director of the Evidence-Based Medicine Program in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Alberta and Medical Director of Towards Optimized Practice (TOP) with the Alberta Medical Association.
Dr G. Michael Allan (Mike) completed medical school and residency at the University of British Columbia. After 4 years with the Canadian Forces in Victoria BC, Mike moved to Edmonton to start work at the U of A and clinical practice at the Northeast Community Health Centre. He coordinates and teaches classes for medical students (Community Health MED 515), resident doctors and practicing physicians. Mike is a reviewer for half a dozen journals, has written and published about 25 articles, and is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Health Economics. His research interests are varied but include health care costs and physician education. He is married with two young children and enjoys hiking and kayaking.
Christopher Adlparvar, B.Sc.
Communications Officer
Christopher Adlparvar is a graduate in Communications from Simon Fraser University. For the next five years he worked for startups in the area of operations. He is currently working with the Therapeutics Initiative as a web developer and communications officer and is assisting with the production of the podcast.
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