Message from the Board Chair and Registrar & CEO

After much consideration, the College of Pharmacy of Newfoundland and Labrador (CPNL) has made the difficult decision to sell Apothecary Hall.


CPNL enjoyed calling Apothecary Hall home for more than 30 years. In 2019, CPNL decided to move offices because the building no longer met space and accessibility requirements for staff and the public. Since moving offices in 2019, CPNL has retained Apothecary Hall, with the goal of enabling the NL Pharmacy Museum to continue to operate in its current location and covering property costs through leasing office space.


The NL Pharmacy Museum was separately incorporated in April 2021 and is now a registered charity with its own board of directors. Up until 2021, the museum operated under Apothecary Hall Trust, and representatives from CPNL (the NL Pharmacy Board at the time) served as trustees. CPNL has continued to support the pharmacy museum, as we recognize the importance to the public and the profession of preserving the history of pharmacy in NL and how special it is to have a pharmacy museum in our province.


However, despite our best efforts, the income from renting Apothecary Hall does not fully cover property management and maintenance costs. The CPNL Board tasked the Finance and Audit Committee with reassessing ownership of Apothecary Hall, considering how the costs of owning it align with CPNL’s legislated mandate. After careful analysis, the Board has decided to cease ownership of Apothecary Hall due to the financial risk it presents. CPNL prioritizes the use of its funds for regulating pharmacy practice in alignment with our responsibilities under the Pharmacy Act and improving healthcare for the public.


CPNL has engaged a real estate firm to sell Apothecary Hall. We hope to find a buyer who will let the NL Pharmacy Museum continue in its current space and will negotiate favorably to support that outcome. Anyone who has questions about CPNL’s decision to sell Apothecary Hall can contact our Registrar and CEO, Noelle Patten, at npatten@cpnl.ca. Anyone interested in purchasing the property can contact Ed Nash of Martek at enash@martek.ca.


Any questions regarding the NL Pharmacy Museum should be directed to their board of directors at hello@nlpharmacymuseum.ca.


Best Regards,