Photo for Kaitlyn Watson

Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, B. Pharmacy (Hons), PhD, GradCertAppPharmPrac, FHEA

Assistant Professor
Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Pronouns: She/Her

Personal Website: https://kaitlynewatson.wordpress.com/

Contact

Assistant Professor
Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Email
kewatson@ualberta.ca

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Implementation Science Public Health Disaster and Emergency Management Primary Care Pharmacy practice


About

Dr. Watson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, focusing on social and public health pharmacy. Dr. Watson earned her PhD in Pharmacy Practice and Disaster Management from Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Her doctoral research focused on a comprehensive exploration of pharmacists' roles and responsibilities in both natural and anthropogenic disasters and emergencies. With expertise gained through two postdoctoral fellowships in clinical trial management and implementation science, Dr. Watson is dedicated to sustainable evidence-based change in the public health and primary care sectors. 

Dr. Kaitlyn Watson, an Australian registered pharmacist and globally recognized disaster pharmacy researcher, serves as the Founder & CEO of Disaster Pharmacy Solutions. She specializes in delivering disaster management and emergency preparedness training to the pharmacy workforce through interactive Table-Top Exercises. In 2022, Kaitlyn authored the foundational book 'Disaster and Emergency Pharmacy: A Guide to Preparation and Management' published by Routledge.

Watson is the world-leader in research on the intersection between pharmacy practice and disaster management. Her research focuses on the public health, social sciences, and disaster and emergency aspects of health service research in pharmacy. Watson utilizes implementation science, qualitative, and quantitative methods. 

Learn more link - https://www.ualberta.ca/pharmacy/news/2023/08-august/new-academic-faculty-member-wrote-the-book-on-disaster-pharmacy.html 


Research

Current projects

  • Women & Hypertension Implementation Science Project (WHISP)
  • Pragmatic Evaluation of Pharmacy Care Clinics in Alberta (PATIO)
  • An International Portrait of Pharmacists’ Professional Role Identities: A Q-Methodology Innovative Study (The FIPP-Q Study)
  • Sick Day Medication Guidance Intervention for Community Pharmacies (PAUSE Study)
  • Navigating Generosity: Exploring Adherence to Donated Medicine Guidelines (MED-GEN Compass Study)

Past projects

  • COVID-19: Bringing the ‘Invisible Layer’ of Pharmacists Professional Identity and Roles to Light (IGNITE)
  • Improving Hypertension Detection and Control Through a Hypertension Certification Program Based Upon the Hypertension Canada Guidelines (RxPATH Trial)

Teaching

Dr. Watson teaches or has taught in the following courses

  • Int-D 408: Interprofessional elective focusing on disaster management for primary care - medicine, pharmacy, and nursing students
  • BASE stream of the PharmD program - public health, environment health, health equity and social determinants of health
  • PHARM495: Pharmacy leadership elective

Announcements

Dr. Watson received the 2023 FIP Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section (SAPS) Research Grant Award for the project "An international portrait of pharmacists’ professional role identities: A Q-Methodology innovative study (The FIPP-Q Study)"

Featured Publications

Kaitlyn E. Watson, Karishma Dsa, Bo Pan, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh

Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2026 September; 10.1016/j.sapharm.2026.05.001


Naoko Arakawa, Kaitlyn E Watson, Takashi Egawa

Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research. 2026 April; 10.1093/jphsr/rmag009


Kaitlyn E. Watson, Isabella M. Thomas, Andrea M. Patey, Sandra Robertshaw, Karen Moffat, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Jeremy Grimshaw

CJC Open. 2025 December; 10.1016/j.cjco.2025.07.016


Kaitlyn E Watson, Jason Chou, Deborah Simonson

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2024 July; 10.1093/ajhp/zxae044


Kaitlyn E. Watson, Jonathan C.H. Chan, Bo Pan, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh, Ross T. Tsuyuki

Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada. 2024 July; 10.1177/17151635241254089


Kaitlyn E. Watson, Kirnvir Dhaliwal, Eleanor Benterud, Sandra Robertshaw, Nancy Verdin, Ella McMurtry, Nicole Lamont, Kelsea M. Drall, Sarah Gil, David J.T. Campbell, Kerry McBrien, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Neesh Pannu, Matthew T. James, Maoliosa Donald

Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2024 June; 10.1016/j.jcjd.2024.02.003


Elizabeth McCourt, Kaitlyn Watson

Pharmacy Education. 2023 August; 10.46542/pe.2023.231.412419


Kaitlyn E. Watson, Theresa J. Schindel, Jonathan C.H. Chan, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Yazid N. Al Hamarneh

Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2023 June; 10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.03.005


Calli Safnuk, Margaret L. Ackman, Theresa J. Schindel, Kaitlyn E. Watson

Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada. 2023 January; 10.1177/17151635221139195


Kaitlyn E. Watson

2022 November; 10.4324/b23292-8


Kaitlyn E. Watson

2022 November; 10.4324/b23292-1


Kaitlyn E. Watson, Theresa J. Schindel, Marina E. Barsoum, Janice Y. Kung

Pharmacy. 2021 May; 10.3390/pharmacy9020099


Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada. 2020 May; 10.1177/1715163520916921


Kaitlyn E. Watson, Judith A. Singleton, Vivienne Tippett, Lisa M. Nissen

PLOS ONE. 2019 December; 10.1371/journal.pone.0227132


Australian Health Review. 2019 December; 10.1071/ah19093


View additional publications

Research Students

Currently accepting undergraduate students for research project supervision.

I will accept Pharm498 students for projects related to my active projects and depending on my student load at the time. Interested studies can email with a CV, transcript and personal statement as to why they are interested in this work. For graduate studies - I am only considering Canadian applicants at this time with demonstrated understanding of Canadian healthcare system, rural communities, and pharmacy/primary care.