PSA welcomes re-election of New South Wales Government

Sunday 24 March 2019

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), in congratulating the return of the Berejiklian Government, asks them to commit to improving the health of the NSW community through supporting the vital role of pharmacists in the NSW healthcare system.

PSA NSW President Professor Peter Carroll said pharmacists’ unique expertise in the safe and effective use of medicines meant their role should be expanded to deliver care wherever medicines were used.

“The entire pharmacy workforce should be invested in to deliver safer, more effective and accessible care across NSW,” Prof Carroll said.

“PSA welcomes the re-election of the Liberal Party and congratulates them on the effective health policies they have already implemented in relation to vaccinations.

“PSA recently released our Pharmacists in 2023 report to highlight that pharmacists must be empowered to do more than the current healthcare system allows them to do.

“This is about the health of the public in NSW. We simply must be able to use more effectively the workforce that we have in pharmacists, across hospitals, in community pharmacy and in other areas.

“Giving consumers in NSW access to the influenza vaccine in community pharmacies has been a huge success.

“Pharmacist-administered flu vaccination has led to greater uptake amongst the community, increasing NSW’s overall herd immunity for these preventable diseases.”

A 2018 nationwide YouGov Galaxy poll showed that two-in-three Australians believe pharmacists should be able to administer common vaccines with greater convenience cited as a benefit.

“Pharmacists in NSW have also been protecting people 16 years and over from whooping cough and measles since January,” Prof Carroll said.

“PSA urges the Government to take full advantage of the pharmacist workforce by expanding pharmacist-administered vaccinations to make it easier for people to access adult pneumococcal and other vaccines.”

PSA also believes there are opportunities to provide the community with better access to specific prescription medicines for acute conditions by utilising the skills and expertise of trained pharmacists.

“Pharmacists can ease the burden on the health system and now is the time to commit to new reforms that allow them to provide better health outcomes for NSW,” Prof Carroll said.

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Outstanding WA pharmacists recognised

Wednesday 20 March 2019

Melinda Boss has received the WA Pharmacist of the Year Award at the annual Western Australian Pharmacist Awards night hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).

PSA WA President Dr Fei Sim presented the award to Ms Boss at the University Club of Western Australia.

Lusi Sheehan was named WA Early Career Pharmacist of the Year and Emeritus Professor Dr Bruce Sunderland was presented with the WA Lifetime Achievement Award.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman delivered an engaging address on PSA’s work to enhance roles, recognition and remuneration for all pharmacists, as laid out in PSA’s Pharmacists in 2023 report.

Dr Sim congratulated Ms Boss on her important research and advocacy in the area of lactation.

“Melinda’s work demonstrates how a pharmacist can interact with the broader academic and medical community, raising the profile and influence of the pharmacy profession,” Dr Sim said.

Ms Sheehan received the Early Career Pharmacist Development Award for raising practice standards and providing a model of practice for her fellow Early Career Pharmacists.

“Lusi has extensive experience in community pharmacy and is a passionate advocate for the development of professional services,” Dr Sim said.

Dr Sim also congratulated Emeritus Professor Sunderland on his extensive experience and achievements in pharmaceutical education and research.

“Bruce has made significant contributions through a lifetime of commitment, leadership and dedication to the pharmacy profession.”

PSA also recognised new Life Members David Manners and Lawrence Spartalis on the evening, congratulating them for their 50-year membership with PSA.

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Flagship conference PSA19 showcases opportunities for pharmacists in 2023

Monday 18 March 2019

The flagship annual conference PSA19 will showcase how to enhance roles, recognition and remuneration for pharmacists as the custodians of medicine safety to improve healthcare for all Australians.

Early bird registrations are now open for the conference, hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) from 26 to 28 July 2019 in Sydney.

PSA19 will tackle the theme of Pharmacists in 2023: unlocking your opportunities. The conference will build on PSA’s Pharmacists in 2023 report by highlighting ways to realise pharmacists’ full potential to improve access to healthcare and reduce variability in care.

International guest speakers including Young Australian of the Year 2009 Kurt Fearnley and patient safety advocate Melissa Sheldrick will headline PSA19.

Kurt Fearnley is a founding member of the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Advisory Council, as well as a sailor, athlete, paralympian, fundraiser and inspirational speaker. He will deliver the 2019 Allan Russel Oration.

After losing her eight-year-old son in March 2016 following a series of dispensing errors, Melissa Sheldrick began advocating for mandatory error reporting across Canada. Her advocacy work is being heard all over the world.

PSA19’s diverse program offers innovative clinical, therapeutic and industry sessions for pharmacists in all practice settings, with a focus on medicine safety and expanded roles for pharmacists.

The popular Shark Tank session will return, giving a fresh round of candidates the chance to impress the judges and gain funding to make their pharmacy innovation a reality.

PSA is partnering with the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA) to enrich the research presented at the conference as the foundation for evidence-based pharmacist’s roles into 2023.

PSA19 will again be held in one of Sydney’s most exciting hotels and convention spaces, The Hyatt Regency Sydney in Darling Harbour.

Register now to secure your place at www.psa19.com

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

New online training to support people living with diabetes

Wednesday 6 March 2019

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

A new online course to support pharmacists in caring for people living with diabetes has been launched today by the peak national body for all pharmacists, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and Diabetes Qualified (DQ), the training arm of Diabetes NSW & ACT.

The Diabetes in Practice for Pharmacists course aims to help improve pharmacists’ health literacy to better support people living with diabetes to make informed choices about their health and thus improve health outcomes.

Diabetes in Practice for Pharmacists also supports several of the national priority actions in the recently released National Diabetes Implementation Strategy, contributing to the strategy’s goal of prioritising Australia’s response to diabetes and its complications and comorbidities, and reducing the impact of diabetes in the community.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman said the course focused on applying diabetes knowledge in everyday practice and supporting patients through better engagement, asking more meaningful questions and giving advice or referring on as needed.

“This new training program supports some of the key actions in PSA’s Pharmacists in 2023 by helping pharmacists in all practice settings have more supportive and meaningful conversations with their patients to prevent medicine misadventure and create better health outcomes,” Dr Freeman said.

“Diabetes is explained in simple terms using case studies and real life scenarios to provide examples of appropriate language to answer questions from a person living with diabetes about diabetes management and related products.”

Sturt Eastwood, CEO of Diabetes NSW & ACT said, “For many people living with diabetes their pharmacist is the health professional they see the most, so there is ample opportunity to have a conversation about diabetes care. We know that education leads to more effective self-care, which leads to reduced complications and better health outcomes.”

The course includes interactive modules and is relevant for pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students with a special interest in diabetes. The introductory module is free for PSA members and the course provides pharmacists with the flexibility to work at their own pace.

To access individual modules or the full course, please visit the PSA website or DQ website.

The PSA and Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) co-developed Pharmacist Diabetes Educator career pathway also supports pharmacists providing services to people living with diabetes.

Media contacts:
PSA: Jarryd Luke, 0487 922 176
DQ: Danilia Walker, 02 9552 9904

Exceptional SA and NT pharmacists honoured

Tuesday 5 March 2019

 

Respected pharmacist Dr Danny Tsai received the SA/NT Pharmacist of the Year Award at the Annual Celebration of Excellence in Pharmacy hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) tonight.

 

Minister for Industry and Skills The Hon David Pisoni MP presented the award to Dr Tsai at Veale Gardens in Adelaide.

 

Veronika Seda won the SA/NT Early Career Pharmacist Development Award, while Karissa Searle was presented with the 2017 PSA Gold Medal and Wala Hamid Haj Ali with the 2018 Gold Medal.

 

PSA SA/NT President Robyn Johns congratulated Dr Tsai and commended his significant contribution to the safe and effective use of medicines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for improving clinical pharmacy services in Central Australia.

 

Dr Tsai is the inaugural Antimicrobial Stewardship pharmacist at the Alice Springs Hospital and his current research interests include investigating the demographics and bacteriology of severe community acquired pneumonia in Central Australia.

 

“Not only is Danny a terrific mentor for early career pharmacists, he also supports student placements in Alice Springs and contributes to ongoing education for health professionals working in remote areas,” said Ms Johns.

 

Ms Seda is the Chair of the SA/NT Early Career Working Group and a project pharmacist with the Adelaide Respiratory Health Project through Asthma Australia and the Lung Foundation.

 

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman presented Ms Seda with the Early Career Pharmacist Development Award for raising practice standards and providing a model of practice for her fellow Early Career Pharmacists.

 

“Veronika has a passion for pharmacist communication and is currently a PhD candidate working on a sustainable model for professional services in community pharmacy,” Dr Freeman said.

 

Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom AO presented Ms Searle and Ms Ali with the PSA Gold Medal for achieving the highest grade point average in the Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of South Australia.

 

Ms Searle is a pharmacy intern at Terry White Chemmart Golden Grove and recently started work at Angaston Pharmacy. Ms Ali is currently completing her internship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

 

PSA also named pharmacists Dr Jacinta Johnson and Dr Rose Allin Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society (FPS) for achieving the highest level of Advanced Practice credentialing.

 

Emeritus Professor Andrew Gilbert was awarded PSA Life Fellowship and Mrs Heather Simpson Life Membership for their significant contributions to the profession.

 

Prof Gilbert’s research and consultancy work in medicines policy and health practice change are internationally respected.

 

Mrs Simpson worked at the Kings Park Pharmacy for 30 years, has locumed in rural SA and Western Victoria and dedicates a day a week towards Home Medicines Reviews.

 

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

 

Workshops to help pharmacists make the most of My Health Record

Monday 4 March 2019

Pharmacists are invited to participate in a series of free interactive workshops designed to help them get the most out of My Health Record as a tool to support better patient care and health outcomes.

9 out of 10 Australians now have a My Health Record and approximately 15,460 healthcare providers are registered to use the system.

About 84% of community pharmacies are registered for My Health Record — and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Australian Digital Health Agency are committed to supporting pharmacists with training as they learn to use the system.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman said the workshops aligned with one of the key actions identified in PSA’s recent Pharmacists in 2023 report to make full use of pharmacists’ skills and improve the health of all Australians: Embrace digital transformation to improve the quality use of medicines; support the delivery of safe, effective, and efficient healthcare; and facilitate collaborative models of care.

“Pharmacists in 2023 states there is a strong need for technological improvement in pharmacist care,” Dr Freeman said.

“That’s why we identified technology as a key enabler that will support pharmacists in 2023 to be more responsible and accountable for medicines safety.

“These workshops will give pharmacists who are unfamiliar with the system the confidence to use My Health Record — and to communicate more effectively with other health professionals so they can deliver more coordinated care.

“At the end of the day, up-skilling pharmacists in the use of My Health Record will deliver better health outcomes and empower consumers through greater access to information.”

Pharmacists are invited to attend the Overcoming barriers to My Health Record implementation in pharmacy workshops between March and May 2019 to engage with Digital Health Leaders and explore how to implement and use the My Health Record effectively in their pharmacy.

Specialist workshops for accredited pharmacists to explore how to connect with My Health Record and embed it in their regular practice will also be provided.

Pharmacists can register online for the Overcoming barriers to My Health Record implementation in pharmacy workshops or the My Health Record for Accredited Pharmacists workshops, or call 1300 369 772 for more information.

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Leadership change at PSA

On Monday 25 February, Graham Catt decided to step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer of PSA. The Board has extended its best wishes to Graham for the future.

To ensure a seamless transition and certainty for our members and stakeholders, Dr Shane Jackson has been appointed as interim CEO and Belinda Wood appointed as Deputy CEO. Shane will step down from the PSA Board over this period.

The PSA Board thanks Shane for stepping into the role as interim CEO which will continue to see PSA focussed on ensuring that pharmacists are able to practise to full scope, and that they are appropriately remunerated and recognised for their key role in healthcare.

We look forward to Pharmacists in 2023 guiding the work of the PSA over the next few years and see that Shane and Belinda will be able to guide this work in the immediate future.

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

PSA recognises leadership of retiring Pharmacy Guild Executive Director, David Quilty

Sun 24 February, 2019

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) today acknowledges the leadership of David Quilty as he steps down from his role as Executive Director for the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman said PSA had enjoyed a good working relationship with the Pharmacy Guild under David Quilty’s leadership.

“On behalf of the PSA Board, CEO and staff, I thank David for his leadership over the past six years,” Dr Freeman said.

“David has been a passionate and relentless advocate for community pharmacy and will be remembered for his role in negotiating the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement in 2015, and Pharmacy Compact in 2017. We wish David all the very best in his retirement.

“PSA looks forward to continuing to engage constructively with the incoming Executive Director on key issues of common interest to progress the roles, recognition and remuneration for pharmacists, so they can provide the best possible care to patients.”

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Pharmacists will do more to improve the health of all Australians

February 13, 2019

In 2023 pharmacists will be the custodians of medicine safety, embedded wherever medicines are used, and more responsible and accountable for the safe and effective use of medicines, a new report reveals.

Pharmacists in 2023: For patients, for our profession, for Australia’s health system, developed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), reveals the 11 system changes needed for healthcare evolution to deliver safety and quality improvements in the use of medicines, and better use of pharmacists to improve access to healthcare.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman launched the report today at a breakfast event in Parliament House attended by political leaders and pharmacy experts from across the country.

“Pharmacists in 2023 is the pharmacy profession’s response to the national medicine safety problem,” Dr Freeman said. “The report unlocks the potential for pharmacists to improve healthcare access and outcomes for Australians and reduce variability in care.”

PSA recently showed in its Medicine Safety: Take Care report that 250,000 people are admitted to hospital each year as a result of medicine-related problems, costing the Australian health system $1.4 billion per annum.

“Medicine safety should be a national priority. The report identifies the key actions needed to address this issue by unlocking more opportunities for pharmacists as the guardians of medicine safety.

“Pharmacists must be empowered to do more than the current system allows them to do. As the only health professionals trained with a specific focus on the effective and safe use of medicines, pharmacists must lead a culture change to embed medicine safety at every point of healthcare delivery.

“Rather than gazing into a crystal ball, we have laid out an ambitious agenda for change with tangible and practical actions to support all pharmacists to reach their full potential and provide more effective and efficient healthcare.

“All of the actions in Pharmacists in 2023 aim to ensure pharmacists practise to the full extent of their expertise, are recognised for their key role in healthcare and are remunerated appropriately.

“Our goal is to ensure any Australian, no matter where they live, can receive the best possible care from a pharmacist, and that pharmacists are supported to address their patients’ needs using the full extent of their training and expertise.”

The report is the result of two years of consultation with a wide range of pharmacy, consumer and health stakeholders.

For pharmacists in 2023 to address the health needs of all Australians, the report identifies 11 actions for change:

1. Empower and expect all pharmacists to be more responsible and accountable for medicine safety.
2. Enhance the role of community pharmacists to have a greater level of responsibility and accountability for medicines management.
3. Embed pharmacists within healthcare teams to improve decision making for the safe and effective use of medicines.
4. Facilitate pharmacist prescribing within a collaborative care model.
5. Improve pharmacist stewardship of medicine management to improve outcomes at transitions of care.
6. Utilise and build upon the accessibility of community pharmacies in primary care to improve consumer access to health services.
7. Equip the pharmacist workforce, through practitioner development, to address Australia’s existing and emerging health challenges.
8. Establish additional funding models to recognise the value and quality of pharmacist care.
9. Allow greater flexibility in funding and delivery of pharmacist care to innovate and adapt to the unique patient needs in regional, rural and remote areas.
10. Develop and maintain a research culture across the pharmacist profession to ensure a robust evidence base for existing and future pharmacist programs.
11. Embrace digital transformation to improve the quality use of medicines; support the delivery of safe, effective, and efficient healthcare; and facilitate collaborative models of care.

Dr Freeman said, “I now look forward to working with pharmacy leaders, other healthcare groups, consumers and government to advance the role of pharmacists in 2023 – for patients, for our profession and for Australia’s health system.”

Read Pharmacists in 2023

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176