Tasmanians aged 5+ to receive influenza vaccinations from pharmacists

22 March 2023

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes the Rockliff Government’s move to allow pharmacists to administer influenza vaccines to all Tasmanians aged five years and over. The move brings regulations on pharmacist-administered influenza vaccines in line with pharmacist-administered vaccines for COVID-19.

 

PSA Tasmania President David Peachey MPS applauded the Tasmanian Government for the common sense change.

 

“Pharmacists are well placed to support the uptake of influenza vaccines in young Tasmanians,” Mr Peachey said.

 

“Pharmacists that are specifically trained to vaccinate children were able to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to patients aged five years and older, it only makes sense that we are also able to deliver influenza vaccines too.

 

“Almost all Tasmanians can now go into their local pharmacy and receive their influenza vaccine, making it easier for families to get their yearly immunisation and protect their health this winter.

 

“PSA has strongly advocated for pharmacist-immunisers to be able to deliver more vaccines to patients of all ages. This is a great first step for pharmacists to be able to do more to support the health of our communities, but there is more work to be done.

 

“In our submission to the 2023-24 Budget Consultation, PSA called for all National Immunisation Program vaccines to be accessible via pharmacists.

 

“Not only would this boost vaccination rates and reduce the incidence of vaccine preventable disease, but it would also increase vaccine access and uptake, reducing vaccine-preventable disease burden.

 

“We look forward to working with Premier Rockliff and his Government to ensure that all Tasmanians have equitable access to vaccines,” Mr Peachey concluded.

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0410 505 315     E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

Statement on National Close the Gap Day

Today is National Close the Gap Day, celebrated across Australia each year on the third Thursday in March.

 

National Close the Gap Day is a national day of action to pledge support for achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality. It is also a day to celebrate the resilience, innovation and success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

 

All pharmacists have a responsibility to provide health care that is culturally responsive and safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

 

In 2022, the Commonwealth Closing the Gap Annual Report outlined that there is more to be done towards achieving parity in a range of indicators. With health targets, the gap in life expectancy while trending in a positive direction is not on track.

 

A key recommendation arising from PSA’s Medicine Safety: Rural and Remote Care report was to embed pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to deliver targeted and culturally safe care, improve medicine adherence and to address polypharmacy and other quality use of medicine issues. This aligns with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap Priority Reform Two, which focuses on building the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector.

 

While ad-hoc funding provides some support for pharmacists to provide services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, there is a lack of discrete funding to support the integration of pharmacists within the primary care team of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

 

Despite this, and in co-design with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), PSA has released the Deadly Pharmacists Foundation Training Course. The course is designed to equip all pharmacists with the skills to deliver culturally sensitive care to First Nations people.

 

So far more than 770 pharmacists have enrolled to undertake the course, indicating a strong desire across the profession to better meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Pharmacists who have already enrolled in the course, but not yet completed it, are encouraged to do so. For those who haven’t yet enrolled, consider doing so.

 

In 2022 PSA released its Guideline for pharmacists supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with medicines management. This guideline marks a refreshed focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being for the pharmacy sector. It offers all pharmacists an opportunity to develop professionally, expand their organisation or business’s impact, build relationships and grow personally. It also provides broader guidance for how enhancing medicines management can improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

 

Thank Your Pharmacist this Thursday

15 March 2023

 

This Thursday, 16 March 2023 marks the annual Thank Your Pharmacist Day. We are inviting politicians, healthcare professionals, and the public to thank their local pharmacists for their dedication to improving the health of our communities.

 

As the peak body representing 36,000 pharmacists practicing across Australia, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is celebrating pharmacists in a range of specialised practices.

This Thank Your Pharmacist Day is spotlighting just some of the Every Day Heroes who work tirelessly to maintain accessible frontline primary care.

 

Heroes like Brooke, who visits patients at home to conduct Home Medication Reviews (HMRs), making it easier to understand how to take medicines safely and spending time to teach really good inhaler technique.

 

Heroes like Brad, who is the founder and lead pharmacist at Mens Health Down Under (MHDU), a pharmacist-led clinic for male urological issues. He helps men get back to a full life after prostate cancer, including regaining sexual function following surgery.

 

Heroes like Deborah, who practices in medical centres to help patients understand their medicines after they leave hospital and visits aged care facilities to teach carers how to administer medicines safely to our oldest Australians. Deborah passionately believes there should be pharmacists everywhere medicines are prescribed, supplied or used. 

 

Heroes like Joe, who spends every day supporting the health of his regional town in Western Australia, delivering vaccines, helping patients understand new medicines, and managing the dispensary to ensure medicines are accessible for his community.

 

Every single pharmacist is a hero, each working tirelessly to better the health of their patients and their communities. These are the remarkable people keeping us safe.

 

PSA National President Dr Fei Sim FPS thanked pharmacists around Australia for their tireless work, and encouraged others to do so too.

 

“Every single pharmacist is a hero,” Dr Sim said.

 

“Thank Your Pharmacist Day is an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate the hard work and dedication of all pharmacists.

 

“I have spent the last twelve months meeting hundreds of pharmacists from around Australia who all share a passion for healthcare and have dedicated their lives to improving the health of their communities.

 

“Pharmacists are the first port of call for many people seeking health advice or care. We are well-positioned to support our patients to seek the right help, whether it is through a community pharmacy, GP, or hospital.

 

“Without pharmacists, health care would not be the same. This Thursday, tell your local pharmacist how you value their care. Say thank you in person, or online using #ThankYourPharmacistDay,” Dr Sim concluded.

 

 

Read more about Thank Your Pharmacist Day and our Every Day Heroes by visiting www.psa.org.au/thankyourpharmacist

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0480 099 798  E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

Pharmacists reduce risk of medicine harm in Residential Aged Care by 50 per cent

15 March 2023

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has today joined pharmacists and researchers from the University of Canberra this morning to launch the findings of the Pharmacists in Residential Aged Care Facilities (PiRACF) study.

 

PSA National President Dr Fei Sim FPS celebrated the release of PiRACF study final report, which will have a meaningful impact to aged care residents across Australia as the Federal Government begins implementation of the On-site Pharmacists in Aged Care Program from 1 July 2023.

 

The study found that on-site pharmacists in Residential Aged Care reduced the risk of medicine harm by 50 per cent, significantly improving patient safety and reducing pressure on aged care nurses and staff.

 

“Pharmacists have again shown the importance of our roles in facilitating the quality use of medicines wherever they are used,” said Dr Sim.

 

“To have a health system that is functioning for the safety of patients, we need pharmacists wherever medicines are administered.”

 

As a key collaborator on the project, PSA was proud to partner with UC to further train pharmacists and prepare them for roles in aged care. Prior to commencing in facilities, on-site pharmacists undertook online training in clinical topics that they were likely to encounter in aged care, such as pain management and the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

 

“PSA proud to have supported the PiRACF study as a key education and training provider for pharmacists.

 

“We were able to provide pharmacists participating in the program with the essential support and high quality training they needed to succeed and best help aged care patients.

 

“PSA is excited to play a significant role in the national roll out of On-site Aged Care Pharmacists this year, and we will continue to work closely with government to advocate for pharmacists in every RACF in Australia.

 

“Thank you to the University of Canberra and the PiRACF study team for their nation leading work with on-site Residential Aged Care pharmacists,” Dr Sim concluded.

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0410 505 315     E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.

NSW Pharmacists of the Year celebrated in Port Stephens

4 March 2023

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is proud to announce the exceptional pharmacists recognised in tonight’s New South Wales Excellence Awards as part of the Annual Therapeutic Update taking place in Port Stephens.

 

The awards were presented by PSA immediate past President, Professor Peter Carroll MPS.

 

The NSW Pharmacist of the Year Award was presented to former PSA State Manager Simone Diamandis FPS, for her leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and advocacy for the expansion of pharmacist administered vaccines.

 

As the NSW PSA State Manager, Ms Diamandis worked closely with pharmacists, Government, the health department and other key stakeholders to drive policy change and improvements for pharmacists to better support their communities. Her work has resulted in better health outcomes for residents of NSW.

 

Her advocacy and leadership had a direct impact on the expansion of pharmacist-administered vaccinations and state-wide funding for the influenza vaccine program in 2022. She has also been a strong advocate for regulatory change and improved access to medicines for NSW residents through the many extensions of the temporary emergency authority.

 

Simone successfully secured funding for many projects, including playing an integral role in attaining the critical North Coast PHN trial of pharmacists treating minor ailments. She also worked collaboratively with key stakeholders on many other projects including pharmacist administration of depot buprenorphine, piloting pharmacists screening for Hepatitis C, palliative care education for pharmacists and their staff, establishing mental health friendly pharmacists and supporting pharmacists with the rollout of RTPM.

 

The NSW Intern of the Year Award is Elizabeth Langdon, an intern pharmacist practising on the South Coast. She has been recognised for her work in implementing harm minimisation strategies in three pharmacies.

 

Ms Langdon drove the rollout of the Opioid Harm Minimisation Strategy and SafeScriptNSW in Priceline Pharmacy Shell Harbour, Amcal North Nowra, and Callala Bay Pharmacy. For the Take-Home Naloxone program she played a pivotal role educating patients on its benefits and teaching patients how to use the drug correctly.

 

Working across both high-volume and smaller consulting dispensing-based pharmacies, Elizabeth has always engaged positively with colleagues and prescribers, and is truly skilled in translating medical jargon into plain English for her patients.

 

Langdon has presented to a community walking group, educating them on the quality use of complementary medicines in osteoporosis and diabetes. The group found the information interesting and relevant and have since asked her to present and discuss other medical topics to further their health literacy.

 

The NSW Early Career Pharmacist of the Year was awarded to Dr Jack Collins MPS for his research at the University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, focussed on the role of community pharmacists in facilitating self-care.

 

Dr Jack Collins’ research has employed a number of research methods in his work to optimise the medicines management role of pharmacists, focusing on non-prescription medicines, and mental health services. He has drawn on his clinical experience as a community pharmacist, coupled with his excellent research skills, to use novel approaches, such as the use of simulated patient methods, intervention evaluation, and mixed methods designs, to optimise the medicines management role of pharmacists.

 

Dr Collins has authored over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as two book chapters and an editorial for the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation. He has also represented Australian pharmacists in the media, having written for publication The Conversation.

 

Collins teaches across all years of the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at the University of Sydney and has developed and co-ordinated pharmacotherapy content for the University’s Dental degree, one of few in Australia.

 

Collins is currently the Chief Investigator on a funded research project that has brought together people with lived experience, mental healthcare professionals, and academics to create and pilot new psychosis-related educational materials in medicines, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry. This work will create a further understanding of how involvement of people with lived experience of mental illness in research and education can impact their recovery journey.

 

The NSW Lifetime Achievement Award recognised the contributions of Warwick Plunkett FPS over nearly 55 years, especially to Pharmacy professional bodies, the continuing professional education of pharmacists, and improvement to the quality use of medicines.

 

Warwick Plunkett has made an enormous contribution to pharmacists and the pharmacy profession. Throughout his career, Warwick has served as National President of PSA, NSW Branch President of PSA, President of the Australian College of Pharmacy Practice, President of the University of Sydney Pharmacy Practice Foundation, and President of the Board of Trustees of the Pharmacy Research Trust of NSW.

 

Warwick’s contributions to pharmacy practice and the quality use of medicines have also been numerous, including establishing the Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) program, which has greatly reduced the potential harm of having no longer needed, and out of date medicines in the home.

 

Plunkett was also heavily involved in the development and introduction of the PSA Self Care program which greatly assists pharmacists in counselling patients on the appropriate use of their medicines. Warwick has also played a pivotal role in the ongoing professional continuing education of pharmacists with the highlight being his leadership as the Chairman of the PSA Offshore Conference. He is also Chairman of the PSA Annual Education Conference and was responsible for introducing the annual PSA Excellence Awards and the annual UTS Innovative Pharmacist of the Year Awards.

 

PSA NSW Immediate Past President Professor Peter Carroll congratulated the winners on their awards, recognising their contributions to a rich and diverse profession.

 

“All of the pharmacists recognised in the NSW Excellence Awards have made significant and lasting contributions to their communities and the pharmacy profession,” Professor Carroll said.

 

“Excellence in pharmacy means excellence in patient care.

 

“I am incredibly proud to see the initiative and dedication of our award winners and congratulate each of them on their awards.

 

“As pharmacists and frontline health professionals, the pharmacists honoured in these awards are improving healthcare for all in New South Wales.”

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0480 099 798  E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.

 

SA/NT Pharmacist of the Year: Adam Forrest MPS

3 March 2023

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is proud to announce community pharmacist Adam Forrest MPS as the 2023 SA/NT Pharmacist of the Year.

 

Adam is a community pharmacist practising at Terry White Chemmart Christies Guild best known for his unwavering commitment to quality use of medicines and his passion in areas such as mental health and Indigenous health.

 

In the pharmacy, Forrest drives chronic disease management programs in diabetes and asthma and led the pharmacy in becoming a dementia friendly practice. He has built a trusted relationship with the surrounding medical practitioners who acknowledge his expertise and seek his advice regularly.

 

He has been a preceptor to quite a few interns and has been a much appreciated mentor to students. He has a passion for teaching and mentoring pharmacists, with the philosophy that by helping pharmacists to reach their potential (and expectations of other pharmacists and consumers), we can lift the standard of the entire profession.

 

Additionally, he sits on the Adelaide Primary Health Network Clinical Council, tutors in the UniSA pharmacy program, and is an assessor for the intern oral exams.

 

PSA SA/NT President Veronika Seda presented the award alongside South Australian Health Minister the Hon. Chris Picton MP.

 

“Adam’s passion for the success and progression of the whole profession has seen him embrace new opportunities in pharmacy practice,” Ms Seda said.

 

“Adam exemplifies everything we love about pharmacists, from his dedication to building trusting relationships with his community, to providing the highest standard of care.

 

“I am proud to present this award to Adam tonight, and can’t wait to watch him continue to grow in his professional practise.”

 

PSA also presented the SA/NT Early Career Pharmacist Award to Dee-Anne Hull MPS, for her work in multidisciplinary care.

 

Dee covered a maternity leave position for the Pharmacists in Aged Care Project, a PSA project funded by the Country SA Primary Health Network. Her experience in working with a multidisciplinary team, collaborating to support high risk residents and using this experience as a basis to influence for the impact of pharmacists roles in Aged Care.

 

This led to a change in career trajectory to her current, non-traditional role, as a Quality and Clinical Specialist for Southern Cross Care within a multi-disciplinary leadership team. She has engaged with a broader audience, as a panellist, workshop facilitator and presenter. Dee has quickly developed the confidence to speak to colleagues and stakeholders about the changing landscape for pharmacists in aged care and she continues to encourage and support other pharmacists considering a career in aged care.

 

She launched the Aged Care Pharmacist- Australia Facebook page, and has quickly built this to a community of about 260 pharmacists sharing research and discussion. She continues to advocate for that vital connection onsite aged care pharmacists will build and foster with community pharmacies that are already dispensing medications for aged care. Dee values this vital link between prescribers, residential facilities and pharmacist services in both the current RMMR/QUM model and future on-site pharmacist models.

 

“Congratulations to Adam and Dee on their awards tonight, we are lucky to be home to such outstanding pharmacists,” Ms Seda concluded.

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0480 099 798  E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.

 

SA/NT Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Fran Vaughan MPS

3 March 2023

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) SA/NT Branch has tonight announced the winners of its Annual Excellence Awards in Adelaide. The Awards were presented by South Australian Health Minister the Hon. Chris Picton MP as part of the annual celebration of Excellence in Pharmacy in Adelaide.

 

The SA/NT Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Fran Vaughan MPS, for her work in improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in particular those living in remote areas.

 

With a background in hospital and community pharmacy and Home Medicines Reviews, Fran has been able to transition these skills to onsite clinical pharmacist practice roles in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of the Northern Territory and Queensland.

 

She is a strong advocate of the value of embedding a pharmacist into Aboriginal Health Services. Pharmacists working within Aboriginal Health Services can provide patients with culturally safe access to information about their medicines, provide education and training to existing staff on appropriate use of medicines, and assist in managing medications at transitions of care, such as discharge from hospital.

 

In her role as pharmacist adviser for National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (NACCHO), she helped to facilitate the IPAC project (Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to Improve Chronic Disease Management) which showed positive benefits of integrating pharmacists into 18 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.  She is an experienced educator and has helped to prepare health professionals, including pharmacists, nurses and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practitioners (AHPs) and Workers (AHW) for remote and rural practice at the Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University.

 

She has also played a key role in the development of the Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCM) which guide health care delivery in remote areas. Her involvement spans over fifteen years and includes being a member of the Editorial Committee and leading the initial development of the Medicines Book for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners.  The Medicines Book presents information about commonly used medicines in simple language with illustrations.

 

PSA SA/NT President Veronika Seda congratulated Fran on her award and lauded her many achievements as remote pharmacist.

 

“Fran is a pharmacist who never seeks the limelight or sing her own praises.   She has worked tirelessly for decades to enhance and improve access to medicines and the quality use of those medicines, particularly for those who call remote Australia home,” Ms Seda said.

 

“Fran has worked across numerous roles, predominantly based in the NT with a short venture across to Thursday Island.  Clinically savvy and accredited for over 20 years she has worked in hospital pharmacy including as Chief Pharmacist at the Alice Springs Hospital, in academia at Flinders University, community pharmacy, an NPS educator role, with NACCHO and more recently undertaking projects trialling novel models of practice, she is always advocating for the value a pharmacist brings to the multidisciplinary healthcare team, in particular to enhance the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

 

“Ever humble, she is somewhat unaware of how many young pharmacists lives she has impacted throughout her career, on their journey through the red centre.”

 

“A clinician, an educator and a humanitarian, she typifies what it is, to be a “Deadly” pharmacist.  It is very fitting and deserving that she is recognised as this year’s SA/NT Lifetime achievement award winner.”

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0480 099 798  E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.

 

Pharmaceutical Society Gold Medal awarded to top student

3 March 2023

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has tonight awarded the Pharmaceutical Society Gold Medal, recognising the University of South Australia student with the highest grade point average (GPA) in the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) above 6.25.

 

Given the stringent criteria, the PSA Gold Medal is not awarded every year.  It is our most prestigious student award, and the recipient joins a very impressive and select group of pharmacists. PSA has been awarding the Gold Medal since 1896.

 

PSA SA Branch is pleased to present the Pharmaceutical Society Gold Medal to Layla McDougall.

 

Layla McDougall has recently completed a double degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science at the University of South Australia. She is currently completing her internship year with the Central Adelaide Health Network, based at the Royal Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals.

 

In 2022 McDougall completed placements at Flinders Medical Centre in the Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit and had a community placement at Green Dispensary Blackwood, while also working in the dispensary pharmacy at Flinders. She also contributed to a research project with the QUMPRC at UniSA in collaboration with the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

 

“I look forward to seeing what the future of pharmacy holds and how I will be a part of it,” McDougall said.

 

“Currently, I find working with patients with chronic diseases most interesting and rewarding. In the next few years I aim to work as a hospital pharmacist, contribute to innovative research and complete the SA Pharmacy Residency Program.”

 

PSA SA/NT President Veronika Seda acknowledged Layla’s achievement and congratulated her on her academic success.

 

“The Pharmaceutical Society Gold Medal celebrates the outstanding academic success of pharmacy students, which is no small feat,” Ms Seda said.

 

“Congratulations to Layla on her achievement.”

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0480 099 798  E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.

 

Better access to vaccines and UTI treatment for Canberrans

3 March 2023

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is proud to welcome the ACT Government’s move to expand the vaccines and medicines that Canberrans can access from their local pharmacist.

 

From mid-March 2023, patients will be able to receive the hepatitis A and hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, typhoid and herpes zoster vaccines from their local pharmacist.

 

Canberrans will also be able to access pharmacist-prescribed antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) under the New South Wales trial program.

 

PSA ACT President Olivia Collenette joined ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA to make the announcement on Friday morning.

 

“There should be no wrong door when patients are seeking a vaccine,” Ms Collenette said.

 

“Pharmacists are skilled and experienced immunisers who have delivered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccinations nationally.

 

“The average Australian visits a pharmacy 18 times each year. That’s 18 opportunities to impart a health message and encourage them to get up to date with their vaccinations. When we are able to deliver those vaccines right from the pharmacy, we are taking down a barrier to care.

 

“Pharmacists are well positioned to play a greater role in primary health care too, and with appropriate further training, can make oral contraception and UTI treatments more accessible for all Canberrans.

 

“It’s important that a patient in Queanbeyan does not have lesser or greater access to healthcare than a patient in the ACT.

 

“We welcome the ACT Government’s announcement and their commitment to equitable healthcare, and look forward to working with them closely to progress the role of pharmacists in the ACT.”

 

 

Media contact:   Georgia Clarke   M: 0480 099 798  E: georgia.clarke@psa.org.au