2026 M.J. Huston Pharmacist of Distinction: Igor Shaskin

Presented annually to a pharmacist who has demonstrated leadership and advanced the profession through a long-standing commitment to innovation, continual professional development, and excellence in patient care.

Over the course of more than four decades, Igor Shaskin has shaped pharmacy practice not through trends or short-term initiatives, but through steady leadership, principled innovation, and an enduring commitment to doing the work well. His career reflects a rare blend of professional curiosity, entrepreneurial courage, and service to both patients and the profession—qualities that define true distinction in pharmacy.

Igor’s influence is most visible in the practice he built and continuously refined. In 1985, he founded Stafford Pharmacy & Home Healthcare in Lethbridge, Alberta, beginning as a small community pharmacy and evolving it into a comprehensive healthcare destination. Under his leadership, the pharmacy expanded its physical footprint, its clinical capabilities, and its philosophy of care. Rather than limiting practice to conventional dispensing models, Igor intentionally broadened services to include home healthcare, advanced compounding, individualized dosage forms, and integrative approaches to chronic disease management. His work demonstrated that community pharmacy could be both clinically rigorous and deeply personal.

A defining feature of Igor’s career has been his willingness to question established norms and explore better solutions. His nationally recognized expertise in pharmaceutical compounding—culminating in his selection as the 2023 PCCA Canadian Compounding Pharmacist of the Year—reflects decades of hands-on problem solving for patients whose needs could not be met by standard therapies. Physicians across disciplines have relied on his insight to resolve complex therapeutic challenges, while patients have benefited from customized care that restored function, comfort, and quality of life.

Beyond his own practice, Igor has consistently invested in strengthening the profession as a whole. He played a foundational role in professional organizations that support independent pharmacy, including long-standing leadership with LARx Pharmaceuticals and service on the Board of PharmaChoice. His early and sustained involvement with the Alberta Pharmacists Association—including serving as President—helped shape advocacy efforts, governance structures, and professional identity during pivotal years of change.

Igor’s leadership has also extended into significant board service across both healthcare and business communities. He has served on the boards of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and Health Outcomes Pharmacies of Canada. Through his participation in these organizations, he has met and developed lasting relationships with outstanding leaders and community members.

Igor’s impact has also extended well beyond pharmacy walls. In recognition of his exceptional service to the community and his positive representation of the profession, he was awarded the Bowl of Hygeia Award in 2010, one of Alberta pharmacy’s highest honors for community leadership. This recognition reflects his long-standing commitment to public service, mentorship, and improving health and wellbeing in Lethbridge and the surrounding region.

His commitment to learning has never diminished. Igor’s academic background spans pharmacy, chemistry, microbiology, and business—an interdisciplinary foundation that informed his thoughtful approach to practice management and patient care. Throughout his career, he has remained actively engaged in professional education, emerging therapies, and evolving standards, modeling the belief that excellence in pharmacy requires continuous growth.

Equally important is the role Igor has played as a mentor and example. Colleagues describe him as generous with his time, candid in his guidance, and unwavering in his ethical standards. Many pharmacists credit Igor with shaping their approach to practice—not by instruction alone, but by demonstrating what long-term responsibility to patients, staff, and community truly looks like.

Igor Shaskin’s career is marked by consistency, integrity, and impact. His work has strengthened community pharmacy, elevated professional expectations, and improved care for countless patients over decades of service. In every sense, he embodies the intent of the M.J. Huston Pharmacist of Distinction Award, honoring a lifetime devoted to advancing pharmacy as both a profession and a public good.