November 28, 2014
Pharmacists welcome plan for after-hours pharmacy service in Victoria
The announcement by the State Opposition to introduce an after-hours pharmacy service if elected would be a welcome addition to the State’s healthcare service provision, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia says.
The Victorian State President of the PSA, Michelle Lynch, said the recent Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry in Community Pharmacy had identified many ways that pharmacists could be better utilised.
“The inquiry found that such utilisation of pharmacists’ skills would help the public and their doctors in preventative and primary care settings,” Ms Lynch said.
“PSA welcomes any move to utilise the currently underutilised expertise and knowledge of pharmacists and the existing community pharmacy infrastructure to help improve the health of Victorians.”
Ms Lynch said pharmacists had long advocated for a greater role in improving the health outcomes of members of the community.
“Pharmacists have the skills and expertise to make a real difference across a great many areas of healthcare and the announcement by the State Opposition is a positive step in this direction,” Ms Lynch said.
“This initiative is in addition to the many possible roles that pharmacists can play to fill gaps in our struggling health system. The proposal will see funding to select 20 pharmacies in Victoria to open 24/7, with nurses being incorporated into the strategy from 6pm to 10pm.
“Pharmacists will be triaging, treating and referring patients on for appropriate treatment where necessary.
“PSA already has expertise in the development and implementation of an after-hours pharmacy service.
“The Society successfully piloted an after-hour pharmacy service project in partnership with the Canberra Medicare Local last year.
“The experience and lessons learned from the Canberra service would be an invaluable insight for any Victorian proposals.
“At PSA in Victoria we look forward to working with any proposals for an after-hours pharmacy service and we are happy to contribute our experience and expertise to support this initiative.”
November 27, 2014
PSA launches unique concept in pharmacy education conferences
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia today launched a new concept in pharmacy education conferences, an initiative which will incorporate the best of two of PSA’s most popular events – PAC and CPEXpo.
National President of PSA, Grant Kardachi, said that PSA recognised that the pharmacy conference market was becoming crowded and in response to feedback from the profession and the industry, had developed a unique formula which combined concepts from PAC and CPExpo into the one offering.
“We have taken the best of these two conferences and added new features and ideas to create PSA15 – a fresh and innovative approach to pharmacy conferences moving into the future,” Mr Kardachi said.
“The development of PSA15 has been an evolution, rather than a revolution.
“At PSA we have taken on board the needs of industry, and the needs of our members, to arrive at a formula which we are confident will deliver results for everyone – sponsors, industry and delegates.
“PSA15 is as exciting as it is innovative. The theme of Leading Pharmacy Innovation will provide unrivalled diversity in clinical education with accredited sessions and interactive workshops delivered by key opinion leaders and clinical experts.”
Mr Kardachi said PSA prided itself on providing high-quality education and connecting with its members through a variety of platforms to ensure pharmacists and support staff were skilled to operate within contemporary standards.
“As the peak professional pharmacy body, with more 18,000 members, PSA is a pivotal player in reaching the largest pharmacy audience of any organisation or educational facility in Australia.” Mr Kardachi said.
“We are the leaders in pharmacy professional development and practice support.
“PSA15 continues to build on this great reputation and I am confident it will set the benchmark for future conferences in the profession.”
24 November 2014
Australian Pharmacist journal wins national award
Peter Waterman, the PSA Director of Public Affairs and feature writer for Australian Pharmacist, has been named as the Business Media Journalist of the Year at the Publishers Australia Excellence Awards.
In a very close category, the judges said ‘Peter writes strong stories on important topics in the pharmaceutical industry. While they are technical in nature, they proved to be engaging and his writing wouldn’t look out of place in many consumer titles.’
Australian Pharmacist, the official journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), was also a finalist in the Association or Member Organisation Magazine of the Year (for the third year in a row).
In addition, graphic designer and PSA Studio Manager Bec Jones was a finalist in the designer of the Year – Business category; and the February 2014 AP cover was a finalist in the Magazine Cover of the Year – Business category.
PSA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lance Emerson, said: “This is a fantastic result which highlights the incredible quality of design and contents our small but dedicated publications team consistently achieves.
“All PSA members can be proud of their journal and the team that produces it.
“Members should be especially proud of Peter Waterman’s achievement in winning the Business Journalist of the Year Award.
It shows his ability to find and write insightful articles about issues of interest and importance to the journal’s readers.”
Earlier this year Mr Waterman won a highly recommended award in the National Press Club Excellence in Health Journalism awards.
In July Australian Pharmacist won three awards in the Worldwide Trade, Association and Business Publications International awards including a Gold Award for Bec Jones in the Front Cover Photograph category.
Mr Waterman won an Honorable Mention for Best Feature Article in these awards.
The Publishers Australia Awards were held at a function in Sydney on Thursday night.