Javiera Navarrete Martinez

Biography: Javiera Navarrete holds a BScPharm degree from the Universidad Católica de Chile and an MSc in Pharmacy Practice from the University of Alberta. She is currently a PhD candidate in Health Services and Policy Research at the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on understanding pharmacists’ engagement in the provision of care for people who use drugs in Alberta and their roles in the public health response to the drug overdose crisis.

Node Funded Project (Dec 2025)

Title: Understanding the role of pharmacists in the public health response to the drug overdose crisis: A
realist evaluation

Principal Investigators: Javiera Navarrete

Co-investigators/collaborators: Drs. Elaine Hyshka, Christine Hughes, Jeff Johnson (University of Alberta);  Essi Salokangas, Marliss Taylor

Description: This explanatory research uses a realist evaluation (Pawson & Tilley, 1997) to understand the mechanisms and contextual factors that shape pharmacists’ engagement in the care of people who use drugs (PWUD). Rather than asking only whether an intervention works, a realist evaluation explores what works, for whom, in what circumstances, and why. Here, the intervention is the implementation of services positioning pharmacists as care providers within Alberta’s existing care network for PWUD. The overarching research question is: What are the roles of pharmacists in the public health response to the drug overdose crisis?
Sub-questions include:
1. What services are currently being offered by pharmacists to PWUD?
2. What are the contributions and challenges associated with pharmacists’ involvement in the care of PWUD?
3. How, why, for whom and in what contexts do pharmacists engage in the care of PWUD?

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