The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has congratulated the incoming President and Board of the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) after their election at the weekend for the 2022-23 term.
The new board comprises:
- Flynn Swift – President (University of Technology, Brisbane)
- Menah Bata (RMIT University, Melbourne)
- Georgia Bridges (RMIT University, Melbourne)
- Gerrard Ferreira (University of Western Australia, Perth)
- Nuha Idris (University of Queensland, Brisbane)
- Elissar Mansour (University of Sydney, Sydney)
- Emma O’Donnell (Griffith University, Gold Coast)
- Renee Rountree (James Cook University, Townsville)
The Acting National President of the Pharmacy Guild, Nick Panayiaris, welcomed and congratulated the new Board and said while it faced continuing challenges for the profession, the outlook for the future was bright for community pharmacy.
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a dominant feature of the healthcare sector across the country but throughout it, pharmacy has gone above and beyond in helping patients during these difficult times.
“Our sector has accelerated the vaccine uptake, facilitated the distribution of Rapid Antigen Tests, and overall has reinforced the pivotal role that community pharmacies play in meeting the health needs of all Australians.
“Against this background, the value of the community pharmacy network has been reinforced for governments and communities, and we will continue to build on this into the future with the aim of seeing pharmacists able to operate to our full scope of practice.
“The role of NAPSA cannot be underestimated. The organisation has a very significant role to play in helping students plan their careers in community pharmacy and preparing them for the constantly evolving pharmacy environment in which they will work.”
Mr Panayiaris thanked the outgoing Board and President Verity Boustead for their work over the past year.
“Verity and her Board were faced with the very difficult task of heading NAPSA at the height of the pandemic and they did not shy away from the hard work this involved,” he said.
“They were an inspiration to their fellow students, and indeed many in the whole profession, through their professionalism, commitment and enthusiasm to help their peers and patients.”
Mr Panayiaris said the Pharmacy Guild was a principal sponsor of NAPSA, and this relationship was built on the Guild’s recognition of the important role NAPSA plays in the profession.
