February 13, 2015
Rachel Dienaar elected new President of Tasmanian Branch of PSA
The Tasmanian Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has announced the election of a new President, Rachel Dienaar, replacing Dr Shane Jackson who has resigned from the branch committee and the position of President recently.
Ms Dienaar is a currently practising community pharmacist who has worked with PSA in a variety of roles over many years and proudly a PSA member since graduation.
She was awarded the PSA Tasmanian Branch Pharmacist of the Year Award in 2013.
She is a credentialled diabetes educator and was a previous Tasmanian Branch Director and Professional Development Manager.
Currently she is the NITP senior clinical tutor in Tasmania and works for PSA Practice Support, currently involved in the Health Destination Pharmacy Program.
National President of PSA, Grant Kardachi, congratulated Ms Dienaar on her appointment and said she would bring a great depth of experience to the role of President.
“I look forward to working with Rachel and her executive to build on the great work undertaken by the Tasmanian Branch and to further the opportunities PSA can offer our members in that State,” he said.
“I would like to thank Dr Jackson who, in addition to being Branch President for six years, has served on the Tasmanian Branch Committee for more than 15 years.
“Under his guidance, the Tasmanian Branch now has record member numbers who have been offered an unprecedented range of CPD events, services and advice to help build and further their careers.
“He leaves the PSA Branch in a strong position to serve its members and his targeted advocacy strategies have helped to develop collaborative relationships with other organisations and government.
“These relationships offer new areas of professional scope for pharmacists.
“He has been particularly active in the Advanced Practice Framework being developed for pharmacists and in the evolution of pharmacists’ role in immunisation.”
Dr Jackson will remain on a number of PSA working committees until their work has been completed.
February 13, 2015
PSA Canberra office relocated
From Monday 16 February 2015, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia enters a new phase in its evolution with staff in the Canberra office being relocated to temporary premises to allow redevelopment of the Pharmacy House site in Deakin, ACT.
Chief Executive Officer of PSA, Dr Lance Emerson, said:
“The existing Pharmacy House, built thanks to funding assistance from PSA members more than 30 years ago, has been a landmark of pharmacist care in Canberra.
The Society has grown over the years to meet the changing needs of the profession, and the existing premises have started to restrict progress.”
The PSA Board recently approved the formation of a joint venture with a Canberra developer to demolish the existing premises and redevelop it into a pharmacy hub which will house PSA and offer space to other pharmacy bodies.
Dr Emerson said this would be a state-of-the-art, three-level building which would symbolise PSA’s progressive and forward-looking approach, and would unite various pharmacy bodies under the one roof.
“This is an exciting time for PSA and the profession,” Dr Emerson said.
“PSA, and the role of pharmacists, have grown over the years. The existing Pharmacy House was built thanks to the support of PSA members and we will continue to recognise these founders in the new building.
“Building on this support, members will again be provided the opportunity to contribute to the development of the new landmark building which will be a symbol of excellence in pharmacist care in Australia for the next 50 years.”
PSA’s regular eNews will keep members informed of the development as it progresses.
The new temporary street address in Canberra is:
Level 1, 25 Geils Court
Deakin ACT 2600
Ph: 02 6283 4777
Fax: 02 6285 2869
Web: www.psa.org.au
February 12, 2015
WA approves PSA pharmacist-immunisation training course
The Western Australian Department of Health has approved the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Pharmacist Immunisation Training, adding yet another Australian jurisdiction moving towards pharmacist-delivered vaccinations.
Under the WA legislation, pharmacists are recognised as authorised immunisers and the PSA training is recognised under the Australian Vocational Education and Training sector and is accredited by the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
The PSA training being offered in Western Australia is based on the training used internationally by more than 150,000 pharmacists and also in the highly successful Queensland Pharmacy Immunisation Pilot.
National President of PSA, Grant Kardachi, said decision aligned with moves across other States and Territories to allow pharmacists to deliver vaccinations.
“The Queensland pilot proved that pharmacists can deliver vaccinations in a safe and effective manner which brings significant benefits to the community,” Mr Kardachi said.
“Some 11,000 people were immunised and about 14 per cent reported they had not been vaccinated before.
“The accessibility of the pharmacist-delivered vaccinations and the ease of access through pharmacies means that more people are getting vaccinated.
“This is a great public health initiative for Western Australia and all its communities.”
WA pharmacists can now register for the PSA training which is delivered in two parts: Online pre-reading, and face-to-face workshops.
For further details and to register go to http://www.psa.org.au/event/psa-wa-immunisation-training
February 11, 2015
PSA Budget submission presents effective solutions
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia believes better utilisation of pharmacists’ skills will result in improved health outcomes and cost‑effectiveness of primary care in GP practices and Aboriginal Health Services.
These are just two of the areas highlighted in PSA’s 2015 Budget submission titled Integrating pharmacists into primary care teams – Better health outcomes through cost-effective models of care.
National President of PSA, Grant Kardachi, said it was imperative that the skills and knowledge of pharmacists be better utilised and integrated into the health system.
“Our Budget submission aligns with the key elements of Australia’s policy on Quality Use of Medicines and in particular focuses on the safe and effective use of medicines to achieve the best possible results and monitoring outcomes,” Mr Kardachi said.
“Our proposals underpin the Government objectives of achieving a fiscally sustainable, efficient and quality healthcare system though a collaborative and cooperative framework.
“Pharmacists are highly trained in medicines yet their skills, knowledge and expertise are often under-recognised and under‑utilised.”
Mr Kardachi said to achieve the aim of improving health outcomes and the cost‑effectiveness of primary care, PSA recommended that the Government introduce a Pharmacist Incentive Payment (PhIP) to integrate pharmacists in general practices to deliver clinical support within a collaborative framework.
“Further, to improve health outcomes for indigenous Australians PSA recommends that Government supports Aboriginal Health Services to integrate pharmacists within their teams to deliver essential medication adherence and education services in a culturally appropriate environment,” Mr Kardachi said.
“Our submission provides practical and effective solutions to some of the major issues facing the health system in Australia today.
“Our solutions reflect the need to include pharmacists in team-based models of primary care which are growing in response to expanding health system demands created by increasingly complex patients.”
PSA Budget submission is available at
http://www.psa.org.au/submissions/submission-to-2015-15-federal-budget