ACT pharmacists recognised with Excellence Awards

10 February 2024

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has recognised the Australian Capital Territory’s top pharmacists as part of the 2024 PSA Excellence Awards tonight in Canberra.

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The ACT Pharmacist of the Year is Kirstin Turner MPS

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Canberra pharmacist Kirstin Turner is a Credentialed Pharmacist and Credentialed Diabetes Educator practising in both General and private practice in the ACT. Working with patients of all types of diabetes diagnoses, Kirstin specialises in medication optimisation for elderly patients experiencing diabetes related complications.

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On top of maintaining her practice workload, Ms Turner continues to give back to the profession by mentoring and sharing more than a decade of clinical practice experience with recently credentialed pharmacists. Ms Turner’s commitment to sharing her accumulated wealth of experience with pharmacists, the multidisciplinary team, and patients that really stands out.

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Ms Turner’s sustained and unwavering focus on the quality use of medicines and medicine safety, both as part of the multidisciplinary health care team and as a distinct health practitioner, exemplifies a true commitment to the pharmacy profession and the wider Canberra community.

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The joint ACT Early Career Pharmacists of the Year are Alicia Martin MPS and Jaqueline Lockley MPS

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Alicia Martin is a community pharmacist in Canberra’s south and is the founder of TaperMate, a mobile app to help patients safely taper their use of medications that cause withdrawal symptoms, particularly in the mental health space. TaperMate was born from Alicia’s clinical knowledge and passion for harm minimisation and improving consumer health literacy, working to bridge the gap between prescribers and consumers by centralising pharmacist advice and supporting true patient-centred care.

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Ms Martin is involved in the Canberra Innovation Network and received YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Grant in 2023 to support the development of TaperMate.

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Through both TaperMate and her community pharmacy practice, Ms Martin demonstrates very strong professional leadership and an unwavering commitment to improving the use of mental health medicines and consumer health literacy more broadly.

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Jacqueline Lockley is a community pharmacist in Canberra’s inner north, utilising pharmacogenomic testing to support specialised patient care. Ms Lockley promotes the use of pharmacogenomic testing to a range of health professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists, mental health nurses and general practitioners, aiming to reduce medication misadventure, and improve quality use of medicines by optimising therapy based on an individual’s genetic profile.

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Ms Lockley volunteers with the Salvation Army in Braddon, providing free advice and services to Canberrans doing it tough. She provides these services without judgement in a safe, familiar environment, supporting members of the community experiencing substance abuse disorders who may not feel comfortable accessing care in a traditional community pharmacy setting.

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Ms Lockley established Self-Harmers Anonymous Australia, a 12-step program to support individuals struggling with self-harm around the country. She also provides information and resources to the friends and families affected by self-harm, supporting them to respond with empathy and understanding.

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Ms Lockley is also a pharmacist representation on the ACT’s Capital Health Network Advisory Council, working to improve access and the delivery of quality healthcare to all Canberrans.

 

The ACT Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to Amanda Galbraith MPS

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As the ACT’s Acting Chief Pharmacist, Amanda Galbraith has lead work to develop pharmacists’ scope of practice through the expansion of pharmacist administered vaccines and the opportunity for Canberra pharmacies to supply treatment for urinary tract infections, improving access to care for Canberra women.

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Ms Galbraith has held a number of leadership positions across the pharmacy sector, including as President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (ACT Branch), a Pharmaceutical Defence Limited Director, and presently as Chair of the Australian Pharmacy Council’s FARM Committee.

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Ms Galbraith’s passion for helping those around her extends to her work with the Pharmacists’ Support Service, offering support related to the many demands of being a pharmacist in Australia. Throughout her career, she has worked to promote First Nations Health, and importantly to promote the careers of First Nations pharmacists. Ms Galbraith is an asset to the ACT health system and the pharmacy profession more broadly.

 

On behalf of PSA, ACT President Olivia Collenette MPS congratulates the pharmacists recognised in this evening’s reception.

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“Canberra pharmacists are embodying what it means to be a pharmacist, providing patient-centred care through innovation, excellence in practise, and commitment to our profession.

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“A special congratulations to Kirstin, Alicia, Jacqueline and Amanda on your contributions not only to the pharmacy profession, but to the health of all Canberrans.”

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