On Wednesday evening, 21 August, at Queensland Parliament House, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch, hosted its sixth annual Parliamentary Reception. The event showcased the positive contributions of community pharmacies to patient care across the state, with key political leaders reaffirming their support for the sector.
The evening featured speeches from Premier Steven Miles MP, Minister for Health Shannon Fentiman MP, and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli MP. Chris Owen, President of the Guild’s Queensland Branch, expressed gratitude to all sides of politics.
“It was wonderful to hear from the Premier, Minister, and Opposition Leader," said Mr Owen. "The fact that all three of these very busy individuals took time out of a Parliamentary week, less than ten weeks from the state election, demonstrates the importance all sides of politics place on community pharmacy in Queensland.”
“This year has seen significant progress in providing more options for Queensland patients to receive frontline healthcare services in their community pharmacies,” Mr Owen added.
“With the introduction of services like the Hormonal Contraception Pilot and the UTI service, as well as over 200 occasions of care under the Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, patients now have more choices, and we’re helping to ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.”
Two videos were unveiled during the reception, each highlighting different but important messages. One video demonstrated the real-world impact of pharmacy services on patients’ lives.
A second video featured Demi Pressley, Australia’s first prescribing pharmacist. In it, Demi shares her experience as a prescribing pharmacist, followed by Dr John Smithson, Associate Professor and Academic Head of Pharmacy at James Cook University, who explains the education required to be involved in the trial. The video concludes with Jessica, a local patient, sharing her story of diagnosis and interdisciplinary care led by her pharmacist, Demi.
The evening also featured presentations for several awards that recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to Community Pharmacy.
The President’s Awards, honouring leadership and dedication to the profession, were awarded to Amanda Seeto and Jennifer Huang for their exceptional efforts in supporting community pharmacy.
Additionally, the newly introduced Full Scope Appreciation Certificate acknowledged extraordinary service and dedication to the Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot. This year’s recipients included Andrew Harman, Sara Kemp, Kylie Birkinshaw, Annie Green, Kate Gunthorpe, John Smithson, and Andrew Hale for their outstanding contributions.
(L-R): Chris Owen - Pharmacy Guild QLD President, Steven Miles - QLD Premier, Trent Twomey - Pharmacy Guild National President
