Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life
McMurrich Building, Room 103 Queenâs Park Crescent West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1S8
Biosketch
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD is Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life, University of Toronto. She originally trained as a pharmacist and completed her PhD in medical sociology. She has been using, and teaching, qualitative research methods for almost 20 years. Her work generally follows the ethnographic tradition; however, she has explored other methods such as grounded theory, phenomenology, case studies and discourse analysis for specific research projects. Her current research interests are related to the safety culture of complementary and alternative medicine practices, the professionalization of complementary and alternative medicine practitioner groups as well as complementary and alternative medicine regulation and policy issues. She is the author of a textbook on natural health products and over 130 academic publications.
Selected Publications
Boon H, N Kachan, A Boecker. âUse of natural health products: How does being ânaturalâ impact choice?â Medical Decision Making. 2013; 33(2):282-297.
Tsui, T, H Boon, A Boecker, N Kachan, M Krahn. â Understanding the role of scientific evidence in consumer evaluation of natural health products for osteoarthritis: An application of the means end chain approach.â BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012; 12:198
Walji R, H Boon, J Barnes, Z Austin, R. Gray. âReporting of natural health product-related adverse reactions: is it the pharmacistâs responsibility? International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 2011; 19(6):383-391.
A Porcino, H Boon, S Page, M Verhoef. âMeaning and Challenges in the practice in the practice of multiple therapeutic massage modalities: A combined methods study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2011: 75.
Ballantyne PJ, RM Mirza, Z Austin, H Boon, JE Fisher. âBecoming old as a âpharmaceutical personâ: Negotiation of health and medicines among ethno-culturally diverse older adultsâ Canadian Journal of Aging 2011;30(2):169-184
Cvijovic K, H Boon, W Jaeger, S Vohra. âPharmacistsâ participation in research: Can they find the time?â International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2010; 18: 377-383.
Olatunde S, H Boon, K Hirschkorn, S Welsh, J Bajcar. âRoles and responsibilities of pharmacists with respect to natural health products: Key informant interviewsâ Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2010: 6(1):63-69.
Walji R, Boon H, Barnes J, Austin Z, Welsh S. âConsumers of natural health products: Natural-born pharmacovigilantes?â BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2010; 10:8.
Boon H, Mior SA, Barnsley J, Ashbury FD, Haig, R. âThe difference between Integration and collaboration in patient care: Results from key informant interviews working in multiprofessional health care teamsâ J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009;32:715-722.
Boon H, Hirschkorn K, Griener G, Cali M âThe ethics of dietary supplements and natural health products in pharmacy practice: A systematic documentary analysisâ International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 2009; 17:31-38.
Moss K, Boon H, Ballantyne P, & Kachan N. The professionalization of Western herbalists: Response to new product Regulations in Canada. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2007; 15: 264-270.
Kelner M, Wellman B, Welsh S, Boon H. âHow Far Can Complementary and Alternative Medicine Go? The Socio-Political Context for Professionalizingâ Social Science and Medicine. 2006; 63(10):2617-2627.
Kelner MJ, Wellman B, Boon H and Welsh S âResponses of established healthcare to the professionalization of complementary and alternative medicine in Ontarioâ Social Science and Medicine 2004; 59:915-930.(role: participated in study design, data collection, analysis, reviewed and revised paper)
Welsh S, Kelner MJ, Wellman B and Boon H. âMoving Forward? Complementary and Alternative Practitioners Seek Self-Regulationâ Sociology of Health and Illness. 2004; 26(2):216-241.