August 2020 Edition
Welcome to the Guild Early Career Pharmacist Newsletter. As part of the Guild family, you will receive this quarterly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox - bringing you the most relevant issues and advances in the industry today
Message from George Tambassis - PGA National President
The Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement provides certainty and stability for Australia’s 5,800 community pharmacies, and ensures the delivery of world class pharmacy services to Australian patients.
For students and early career pharmacists, the Agreement provides confidence that the community pharmacy sector is recognised and valued by Government. The Agreement includes a Commonwealth commitment to ensuring pharmacists are able to practise to the full scope of their training and expertise. It also commits the Government to working with the States and Territories to harmonise vaccination regulation across jurisdictions.
The Agreement is first and foremost of benefit to patients, but it is also very supportive of community pharmacists and the career aspirations of young pharmacists in particular. In the negotiations, both the Guild and the Government were mindful of the ramifications for young pharmacists starting their careers in community pharmacy. I want to thank NAPSA, pharmacy students and early career pharmacists for your support as we worked our way through an arduous year of negotiating.
The Government has also committed to support moves by university pharmacy schools to transition the pharmacy qualification to a Masters degree over time, allowing pharmacy graduates to become Doctors of Pharmacy. This is an important step that will assist Australian pharmacists in terms of parity with pharmacy professionals in comparable countries around the world.
Community Pharmacy Agreements between the Commonwealth and the Pharmacy Guild have been in place since 1990, with their key purpose being to provide for the timely and equitable supply of PBS medicines.
The Agreements provide certainty for the Government and for pharmacy small businesses that are tasked with the effective supply of PBS medicines on behalf of taxpayers to the maximum benefit of patients.
Key features of the Agreement include:
- Underpinning the dispensing of more than 200 million subsidised prescriptions each year for Australian patients, dispensing remuneration is increased and indexed.
- Increased investment in regional, rural and remote areas through an increase in the Rural Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance, ensuring patients in regional Australia continue to be well served by a local pharmacy.
- New funding to enhance the Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Expanding patient access to Dose Administration Aids
- Maintaining the investment in medication management programs to support older Australians’ medication management and adherence.
- Recognising the befits that will flow if the regulations affecting pharmacist vaccination across Australia are harmonised
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia's Senior National Vice President and Chief Negotiator of the 7th Community Pharmacy Agreement, Trent Twomey, gives a short introduction to the 7CPA for students.
Your Community Pharmacy Career Webinar
Did you miss out on the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s virtual student event?
National Senior Vice President, Trent Twomey recently presented an interactive webinar where he discussed; the future of community pharmacy, details of the 7th Community Pharmacy Agreement, career pathways and the ways in which the Guild can support you on your journey.
You can access the recording NOW! Log onto your GuildEd account and you will see the webinar details in the Course List.
My Pharmacy Career – the destination for community pharmacy jobs in Australia
My Pharmacy Career is your premium job seeking platform for all careers and roles within community pharmacy.
Set your career profile today and let My Pharmacy Career start searching for your career opportunities, apply on line, or simply start searching today of new career opportunities. My Pharmacy Career is an end-to-end recruitment platform designed to help you find careers and exciting roles in Community Pharmacy.
My Pharmacy Career is a national jobs platform specific to community pharmacy. Anyone can register to find a new career or job opportunity within Community Pharmacy.
The My Pharmacy Career App is compatible with Apple and Android phones.
Focusing on pharmacy management and ownership, the PBCN supports the improvement and growth of your business performance and career progression with insights and advice from a range of industry professionals.
The PBCN podcast will be supporting your journey every step of the way.
Podcast in Focus Episode 51:
Re-imagining Your Retail Environment with Gary McCartney
What does the retail store of the future look like? Are we returning to the norm anytime soon or is the new way here to stay?
2020 is certainly helping us to reconsider how we interact with our physical environment and, for community pharmacy, this represents a big challenge going forward.
However, it is also a great time to identify innovative opportunities to enhance the physical store area and improve patient experiences and outcomes. Getting on the front foot now will ensure community pharmacies remain accessible and valuable destinations
for patients when we settle into the new norm.
In this episode, Gary McCartney, owner and creative director of McCartney Design, discusses how physical store environments can go a long way in shaping positive patient outcomes. Gary, has over twenty years of experience in retail design across a variety of industries, including community pharmacy.
Other podcasts of interest;
- ePrescribing on the Horizon - Jason Bratuskins
- Heart180 – How a Defibrillator Can Help You Save a Life – with Guy Leech
- Mental Health and Workplace Wellbeing - Kay Dunkley and Helen Lowy
- Reconciliation 'What has It Got To Do With Me?' with John Briggs
- The Importance of Connectedness in Pharmacy Leadership with Mel Kettle
- How to Thrive in a Multi-Generational Workplace with Nicky Mackie
- Mentoring with Guy Lambert Elise Apolloni and Tash Jovanoska
- Building Your Career in Community Pharmacy with Liam Murphy the Roaming Pharmacist
- Leadership and Culture in Pharmacies with Daniel Healy - Leading Teams
- Innovation in Pharmacies with Rod Hattch - Wisdom Learning
Guild Intern Training Program: Get the Competitive Edge
Comprehensive Exam Support
Guild Interns receive comprehensive resources to support you with your exams including written and oral exam training modules, practice materials to use with your preceptor and personalised guidance from tutors.
Bonus Training
The Guild Intern Training Program is the best value program on the market with complimentary vaccination or refresher training, Medication Management Review (MMR) Stage One Training at no extra cost, as well as complimentary membership with the Australian College of Pharmacy and exclusive access to education events.
Conference Access
Looking to grow your pharmacy network? Guild interns receive FREE registration to APP Conference* on the Gold Coast (valued at $940), and Pharmacy Connect^ in Sydney (valued at $295).
Find out more at internpharmacist.com.au or call 1300 110 161
GuildEd
GuildEd assists pharmacists, interns and students meet their professional development and education needs through CPD approved education, the CPD learning plan and online training options.
GuildEd recently launched the SNAPshot Learning hub. It provides users with an opportunity to learn a new topic in as little as 5-15 minutes and can be viewed on tablets and phones. A great way to learn just what you need to know, just when you need to know it. The hub will offer an expanded range of courses over time.
Pharmacy Assistant of the Year 2020
Last Chance to Nominate an Outstanding Pharmacy Assistant for the Pharmacy Assistant of the Year Awards
The Pharmacy Assistant of the Year (PATY) Award provides pharmacy assistants with a platform to showcase their outstanding product knowledge, clinical knowledge, leadership capabilities and customer service skills.
Recognise a passionate pharmacy assistant by nominating them for PATY2020. Get your nominations in quick as third party nominations close in less than two weeks on Monday, 17 August 2020!
It only takes a couple of minutes to nominate an outstanding pharmacy assistant – it could change their life!
R U OK? DAY Thursday 10 September 2020
R U OK?Day is Thursday 10 September 2020. It’s our national day of action when we remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” if someone in your world is struggling with life’s ups and downs.
The message for R U OK?Day 2020 is: 'THERE'S MORE TO SAY AFTER R U OK?'
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and circumstances have made it even more important for us all to stay connected and, for those who are able, be willing to support those around us. In the lead-up to R U OK?Day we’ll help Australians know what to say when someone says they’re not OK and guide them through how they can continue a conversation that could change a life.
Rural Pharmacy Video Competition
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a rural or remote community pharmacy?
The Guild recently announced the winner of it's annual Rural Pharmacy Video Competition. The Guild invited rural and remote pharmacists and their staff to submit a 30-45 second video for the ‘why I love rural pharmacy’ competition, with the added theme of ‘Rural Pharmacy First Dates’, and this time with bonus points for inclusion of a signature item - a ring!
The judges were looking for entries that showed how the pharmacies and staff engaged with their local community and the richness of relationships they built working and living in rural Australia.
The entries received shared funny and meaningful stories of engagement, especially the ‘first dates’ that developed into strong relationships.
The winner of the competition was Oatlands Pharmacy in Tasmania.
Executive Director of the Pharmacy Guild Suzanne Greenwood said that all of the entries in the competition were inspiring however, “The Oatlands Pharmacy video stood out because of its focus on community and how pharmacist Ilwoo Park, had moved from a highly populated city to a town of just under 700 people with a firm commitment to integrate into that community."
“Her enthusiasm and commitment to the community shines through, and her tireless work for her patients is evident. It is a clever video which is also testament to what rural pharmacy is all about – being compassionate, innovative and part of the community.”
Ms Park said she was surprised and honoured to be chosen as winner of the competition.
“It was fun putting the video together and also gave me an opportunity to highlight some aspects of the local community which make my job here so rewarding,” she said.
Watch the winning video from Oatlands Pharmacy Tasmania below.
PharMIbridge RCT
Bridging the Gap between Physical and Mental Illness in Community Pharmacy (PharMIbridge) Randomised Control Trial (RCT)
Are you interested in learning how to better support consumers living with severe and persistent mental illness as a mental health friendly pharmacy?
Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) refers to any mental illness that has a continuous and significant effect on a person’s daily life, such as schizophrenia, severe and recurrent depression, and bipolar disorder. In Australia, there are an estimated 9,000 premature deaths annually amongst consumers living with SPMI. However, this mortality rate is generally due to health conditions experienced by the general population, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Urgent attention is therefore required to address associated physical health concerns of this vulnerable population.
APP2021
We are pleased to announce that APP2021 will be held from 20-23 May 2021, and look forward to once again welcoming delegates back to the Gold Coast. The event has been moved from March to May 2021, in order to allow more time for COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted and for the event to be run at its optimum.
Mark your diaries now and sign-up to receive exclusive APP2021 updates, including first access to early bird specials.
Guild Mentor Platform - powered by Mentorloop
The Immediate Need to Build a Strong Culture of Innovation
Join Steph Bright of Capita and Guy Lambert of Mentorloop as they re-discover the importance that boredom plays in innovation and highlight the best approaches that support our people to learn, collaborate and innovate even in such complex and taxing times.
Learn more about interventions such as collaborative, problem-solving focus sessions: a really strong way of allowing people to see what other roles are like in a cross-team scenario, sparking interest, and allowing your people to move into different areas of the business – in a lattice effect, rather than only moving along a typical upwards trajectory.
It’s time to sign up for STEPtember!
Let’s move together for cerebral palsy
Sign up for STEPtember, Australia’s leading health and wellness fundraising event, and walk, swim, ride, wheel or spin your way to 10,000 steps per day for 28 days in a fun, safe and virtual environment – all while making a real difference to the lives of children and adults with cerebral palsy.
Are you ready to step up?
TED Talk: An ER doctor on triaging your "crazy busy" life
How do doctors in the emergency room stay calm and focused amidst the chaos? Drawing on years of experience, ER doctor Darria Long shares a straightforward framework to help you take back control and feel less overwhelmed when life starts to get "crazy busy."
Early Career Pharmacist Resource Hub
The Guild aims to equip early career pharmacists with the pathways, skills, tools and professional networks needed to be leaders in the primary health care system and owners of community pharmacies.
The ECP Resource Hub is where to find valuable information and resources relevant to you and your stage of career.
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For more information or to find out what is happening in your state, please contact your local Guild branch .