About us

Pharmacists Without Borders (PSF) is a humanitarian organization that is widely recognized by the international health community for its distribution of medications to vulnerable populations who are enduring situations of armed conflict, distress, or natural disaster. PSF is comprised mainly of pharmacists who wish to help populations in need to organize their medical distribution networks, and to assure the proper management of essential medications.

The PSF international head office is located in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The Canadian branch, called PSF-Canada, was founded by Quebec pharmacist Hubert Brault, and is situated at the head office of the Quebec Association of Pharmacy Owners. Jean-Michel Lavoie is currently the president of PSF-Canada.

« Our goal is to provide access to quality essential medications », explains Hubert Brault, who added that PSF is also setting the standards for other NGOs concerning pharmaceutical care.

In addition to the branch in Canada, PSF has a presence in many European countries, such as France, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Luxemburg, Spain, Holland, and Belgium.

Aside from sending pharmacists on missions abroad, PSF also procures medications and medical equipment, and also assumes the expenses associated with each mission.

PSF carries out emergency missions (Moldavia, Tajikistan, Sudan/Kenya …), development missions (Haiti, Ecuador, Cambodia, Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso), evaluation missions (Honduras), and also organizes special missions, the most recent taking place in the Balkan territories (Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo).

The goals of PSF in a development mission are to train, inform, and organize. In developing countries, the provision of essential medications is vital towards achieving primary health care. However, problems related to selection of proper medications, their proper use, transmission of pertinent information, and proper management practices unfortunately obstruct these medications from reaching those who need them the most.

Many countries lack a rational policy defining pharmaceutical and health care, and thus do not have a distribution infrastructure in place. PSF can effectively create a network through collaboration with health clinics, religious communities, and local hospitals.

Health clinics in these countries distribute medications that come from many sources, often donations from patrons or private organizations who often unintentionally destabilize the fragile infrastructures that were painstakingly put into place. This destabilization is the result of inappropriately selected medications that often do not fit the needs of the population in distress.

At PSF-Canada, we are aware that not all pharmacists are able to participate in a mission abroad, but this does not mean you cannot be of great help. PSF-Canada accepts financial contributions, which are used to purchase essential medications or are put towards the funding of ongoing and future missions abroad (tax receipts are provided).