Tara Leslie, BSP, BCOP, MEd, PharmD, FCAPhO

Area of Study / Keywords

Pharmacy Oncology Hematology Assessment

About

Administrative Role - Director of Post-Professional Programs:

• Academic Leadership for the Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice Program
• Academic Leadership for the PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists Program

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BSP), College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, 1997
• Board Certification in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP), 2010
• Masters of Education in Health Sciences Education (MEd HSE), University of Alberta, 2020
• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), University of Toronto, 2023

Awards:

• Fellow of Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (FCAPhO) (2025) 
• Honouring Oncology Pharmacy Excellence (HOPE) award in Canadian Education, second place (2023) 
• Larry Broadfield Distinguished Service Award, Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (2017)

Certifications/Licensure:

• 1998 - present, Clinical Pharmacist, Alberta College of Pharmacy
• 2013 - present, Additional Prescribing Authority (APA)

Clinical Practice:

• 2024 to present and 2013 to 2014 - Pediatric Hematology, Oncology & Blood and Marrow Transplant, Alberta Children's Hospital, Alberta Health Services, Calgary
• 2014 to 2024 - Adult Ambulatory Hematologic Malignancies, Tom Baker Cancer Center, Alberta Health Services, Calgary
• 2006 to 2013 - Adult Acute Care Hematology/Oncology & Blood and Marrow Transplant, Foothills Medical Center and Peter Lougheed Hospital, Alberta Health Services, Calgary

Research

• Oncology Pharmacy Practice
  • Recent Publication: de Boer A, McCaw C, Ackman M, Leslie T, Peters A, Koshman S. Evaluating the impact of a pharmacist-led venetoclax ramp-up clinic for chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients: A retrospective chart review. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2025 Mar 21:10781552251324522. doi: 10.1177/10781552251324522. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40116626.
• Educational Assessment
  • Recent Publication:  Leslie T & Gierl MJ.  Using automatic item generation to create multiple-choice questions for pharmacy assessment.  Am J Pharm Ed. 2023;87(10):100081

Teaching

Oncology Pharmacotherapy

• solid tumours (breast, lung, colon, prostate)
• hematologic malignancies (lymphoma, leukemias, multiple myeloma)
• supportive care (febrile neutropenia, antineoplastic induced nausea/vomiting, chemotherapy toxicity management, immune checkpoint inhibitor toxicity management, targeted therapy toxicity management)
• pharmacogenomic applications in oncology
• toxicology topics related to oncology

Distance Learning

• Problem-based-learning (PBL) style complex pharmacotherapy topics for distance learners (Advanced Pharmacotherapy Part 2, Pharm 533)
• Blended delivery pharmacotherapy topics for internationally educated pharmacy graduates (IEPGs) (EXPH2553 - Pharmacotherapy 1)

Interprofessional Education

• Skill development for health care collaboration in the context of clinical patient care for blood and marrow transplant (BMT), INT-D 408 in heme/onc/BMT 

Practice Skills:

• talking with emotional patients, talking with palliative patients

Administration/Leadership: 

Sept 2025 to present - Director, Post Professional Programs

October 2023 to 2025 - Director, Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice (CCPP) Program 

EXPH 2553 - Pharmacotherapy I

Learners will expand their knowledge and skills in caring for patients with various disease conditions within the patient care process framework. Restricted to Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice Students

INT D 408 - Interprofessional Health Education Elective

Application of interprofessional competencies within a specific health care context. Content topics vary from year to year. Topics announced prior to registration period. The student's transcript carries title descriptive of content. May be repeated. Prerequisite or corequisite: INT D 403, or equivalent introductory interprofessional health education course, or approval of Health Sciences Education and Research Commons, Health Sciences Council. (Offered jointly by the following faculties: Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences; Medicine and Dentistry; Nursing; Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation; and Rehabilitation Medicine.) [Health Sciences Council].

PHARM 444 - Pharmacotherapy 7

Students will develop knowledge of various types of neurologic and oncologic conditions and complications and will apply therapeutic and pharmaceutical science knowledge to various patient care scenarios. Students will further develop their critical thinking and self-directed learning skills, along with their breadth and depth of therapeutic knowledge, as they incorporate principles of evidence-based therapeutic decision making within the patient care process framework. (Restricted to Pharmacy students.)

PHARM 513 - Experiential Learning Part 3

The PharmD student will be expected to demonstrate professional competencies in the provision of patient care. Direct patient care activities will include health assessment, therapeutic drug monitoring, provision of drug information, and contributing to patient care in an ambulatory or community practice setting. Prerequisites: PHARM 501 or 521, 502 or 522, 503 or 523 and 533, 504 or 524/534/544, or with Faculty consent. Sections offered at an increased rate of fee assessment; refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations sections of the Calendar. (Restricted to PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists students).

PHARM 533 - Advanced Pharmacotherapy - Part 2

Explores selected pharmacotherapy topics and provides an opportunity for students to integrate knowledge and skills. Topics will be explored using the primary literature to critically evaluate emerging controversies and therapeutic dilemmas and addresses advanced skills and knowledge required for monitoring outcomes of drug therapy including interpreting drug levels and adjusting therapy. This distance learning course is offered at an increased rate of fee assessment; refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations sections of the Calendar. (Restricted to PharmD students or with Faculty consent.) Prerequisites or corequisites: PHARM 521 and 522, or consent of the Faculty.

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