2026 I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards Finalist
Melissa Olson
RPhT
ASHP Pharmacy Technician Program Director, Educator, Osceola Technical College – St. Cloud
US
Bio
Her Impact Story
I have never believed leadership is about a title. For me, it is recognizing when something is not working, understanding who is affected, and having the courage to help create change. Throughout my career as a pharmacy technician, I have focused on the gaps between healthcare systems, professions, and resources—because those gaps can become barriers for patients and communities. During COVID-19, I saw pharmacy teams struggling under extraordinary pressure. I created an independent pharmacy relief and recruitment business to support teams and help them continue providing safe, timely care. One experience that shaped my work involved Indigenous mothers struggling to access breast pumps and infant formula through existing supports. The resources existed, but the process was difficult to navigate. I brought together pediatricians, midwives, pharmacy professionals, and federal program resources to help create a pathway through the Non-Insured Health Benefits program. The impact was more than providing supplies; it was removing barriers and helping families access essential support when they needed it most. That same commitment continues in my work with Indigenous Services Canada, supporting pharmacy practices across Treaties 6, 7, and 8 through regulatory oversight, medication and medical supply access, policy development, and initiatives that strengthen safe care in First Nations communities. Whether I am removing a barrier for a family, supporting a pharmacy team, or helping build a safer system, my goal is the same: to leave things better than I found them. I hope my impact is remembered not by the positions I held, but by the people I helped, the barriers I removed, and the bridges I built.
Measurable Results
- I have been licensed and worked in 2 provinces.
- Started on of the first pharmacy technician owned relief companies in Western Canada to support owners and pharmacies during Covid 19 when illness and burnout were on the rise.
- Consulted in 4 provinces (with numerous health authorities and pharmacies) on staffing needs and recruitment for pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, nurses, and pharmacy assistants.
- Collaborated with the Edmonton Midwifery Co-op perform gap analysis and design a program for indigenous moms in need of breast pumps and formula.
- Countless breast pumps dispensed free of charge to moms in Edmonton and surrounding areas in Alberta,
Quotes & Perspective
“
Personal Quote
“I want my work to matter in the lives of people who may never know my name.”
What I.M.P.A.C.T. Means to Her
To me, true I.M.P.A.C.T. is recognizing that something can be better, and choosing to do something about it. It is using my experience, my compassion, and my voice to create meaningful change—not because I have all the answers, but because I believe we can always do better for our clients/patients.
Impact isn’t something that is always measured by how much you accomplish, how many people you help, or how many people know your name. Sometimes it is measured by a barrier that no longer exists, a family or individual who received help when they needed it, a colleague who felt supported, or a community that is better served because somebody cared enough to speak up.
For me, impact is about leaving things better than I found them. It is about having the courage to question what has always been done, the humility to listen and learn, and the compassion to remember the people behind every policy, process, and decision.
If my work can make even one person feel heard, supported, respected, or cared for—and help create a system that works a little better for those who come after them—that is impact to me.
What First Drew Her to This Work
Because life throws unpredictable curveballs, the work I do today is rooted in personal experience.
When my children were toddlers, I became a single parent, 1,000 km from family and facing challenges that felt impossible to overcome. At my lowest point, my water and power were shut off. I still had a mortgage, car payments, and two little mouths to feed.
I worked pharmacy shifts, but it wasn’t enough, so I cleaned houses, prepared meals for working parents, and bartended on weekends. Some families let me bring my children. One family went further, offering their home and kitchen so I could bathe my children and prepare meals. Their kindness changed how I saw the world.
Sometimes, finding a helping hand feels like finding a needle in a haystack. When you find one, you hold onto it.
I wanted to become that helping hand for someone else.
As my circumstances improved, I moved from retail pharmacy into biologic, oncology, and immunotherapy trials, where I often became a sounding board for patients and families. When COVID hit, I started my own relief business to support a profession struggling to remain accessible.
Then I was given the opportunity to work with marginalized and underserved communities. That was where my mind and heart met—where my career and passion became one.
I started the Formula Initiative because I understood the fear of being a parent struggling to provide. But I also knew my experience was only a fraction of what some mothers faced. I had been fortunate to have a community that helped me when I needed it most. For many women I met, support existed, but came with barriers they could not overcome.
So I tried to remove some of those barriers and make one piece of their lives a little easier.
That work eventually led me to my role with the Canadian Government. It may not be the traditional path for a pharmacy technician, but it is where I believe I am meant to be—not simply for my career, but for the people I am here to serve.
A Moment She's Most Proud Of
I don’t know that I would describe it as a moment of pride, but I was deeply humbled and honoured when a mother brought her baby into the pharmacy to meet me. She placed her baby in my arms and told me that, because of the care and support I had provided to her and her family, she would always consider me an aunty.
That moment stayed with me. It reminded me that healthcare is about so much more than medications, policies, or systems. It is about trust, relationships, cultural safety, and understanding the historical and systemic inequities that can shape a person’s experience of care.
My role was only a small piece of that much larger picture, within a very niche area of healthcare, but in that moment I understood that the work I was doing could help bridge a gap. More than making me proud, it made me hopeful—that through compassion, advocacy, and a willingness to listen and understand, we can build healthcare relationships where people feel respected, safe, and cared for.
Advice for Other Pharmacy Technicians
My advice to other pharmacy technicians would be to never underestimate the impact you can have.
You don’t need a formal leadership title to be a leader. Some of the most meaningful changes in healthcare begin with someone who notices a problem, asks why it exists, but also has the heart to try and make it better.
Be curious. Keep learning. Speak up when something isn’t working, even when it would be easier to stay quiet. Build relationships, listen to the people you serve and never stop looking for ways to make healthcare more equitable, compassionate and accessible.
Take risks. Make someone mad for the RIGHT reasons. Don’t be afraid to believe that your voice matters. Our profession is evolving and technicians have an important place in shaping what comes next.
You may never know the full impact of something you did for someone. Sometimes it’s a policy you helped change, sometimes it’s advocating for a client, and sometimes it’s simply the way you made someone feel safe, heard and cared for.
Do the work because it matters- not because you expect recognition. The recognition, if it comes, is simply a reminder of the lives you touched along the way.
Key Takeaway
If anybody takes anything away from my story, it would be that you don’t have to hold a position of power to make a difference.
Leadership can be as simple as caring enough to find or notice the things that aren’t right, and try to be the voice that’s heard. But you need to be ready to be more than just the voice, you need to be prepared to do the work as well, which may not be visible, but it can be felt. Sometimes it’s making changes to policies, sometimes its something more personal- such as gratitude from a family, or knowing that one person felt cared for because you made them feel safe, seen, and heard.
I hope my story reminds other pharmacy technicians that our voices and experiences matter and our profession has the power to ignite change if we want it to.
You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room, but you need to be willing to step forward when you see an opportunity to make a difference.
Her Impact Story
Links to Feature
Testimonials
"You are amazing and very well versed in all areas of our profession."
"You have a lot of knowledge and I look up to you!"
"People need you"
"You're making a difference!"
Voting is Open
Support Melissa Olson
in the 2026 I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards
Cast your vote, then join the LIVE Online Pharmacy Technician I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards Ceremony on RXTech Day, October 20, 2026.
Voting closes September 30, 2026