Dr. Gordon Johnson (PhD)

Professor Emeritus
Pharmacology, College of Medicine

Dr. Johnson (PhD, Toronto) was recruited by the U of S to the position of Professor and Head of the newly formed Department of Pharmacology in 1972. He developed an innovative program of teaching pharmacology (the study of the interaction of “drugs” with biological systems) to medical, pharmacy, and dental students. He also continued his research studies, particularly on the “non-medical use of drugs”, and was instrumental in developing the first Saskatchewan Formulary.

Since retirement in 1995, he directed the Saskatchewan Drug Research Institute (SDRI) until December 31, 1998; published two textbooks – Pharmacology and Nursing Practice, 4th edition (W.B. Saunders, 1998) and PDQ Pharmacology, 2nd edition (BD Decker, 2002); and established Pivotal Drug Consultants, Inc. He continues to serve as President of this corporation, which provides expertise to major innovative pharmaceutical companies in their dealings with Health Canada and the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. He has also served as Chair of 8 expert committees struck to provide Health Canada with external reviews of New Drug Submissions; from 1995 to 1998 was a member of the Board of York Medical, a corporation established to work with Cuban medical scientists in their efforts to bring new drug products to the market in Canada), and returned to teaching at the U of S from 2008 to 2011 (College of Nursing).