November is Rural Health Month, a time for healthcare professionals across Australia to come together to celebrate rural health.
This year, the sector is highlighting the inequities faced by nearly 7 million Australians living in rural and remote areas, where access to healthcare is often limited.
Community pharmacy plays a crucial role in bridging these gaps, with 74% of people outside cities living within 2.5km of a community pharmacy. In 332 towns across Australia, community pharmacies are the only healthcare destination.
People in the regions experience poorer health outcomes compared to those in urban areas. According to the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), rural Australians receive $848 less in healthcare funding each year, despite rural industries generating about 80% of Australia’s exports and supplying around 90% of fresh produce available in Australia’s markets. It’s time to make a change, because access to healthcare shouldn’t depend on your postcode.
These issues are at the heart of the rural pharmacy forum at the Australian Pharmacy Professional (APP) Conference & Trade Exhibition in March 2025. Titled “Rural pharmacy: adapt, embrace, succeed,” next year’s forum, co-hosted by the Guild and Rural Pharmacists Australia (RPA), is designed to equip regional, rural, and remote pharmacists with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive on their journey to full scope of practice.
The Rural Pharmacy Forum program for 2025 will be built around the key issues highlighted and discussed in this year’s forum, which are summarised in the animation above. Below is another animation summarising solutions identified and workshopped with delegates, to address and solve .
The 2025 forum will not only reflect on, but build upon these key issues, breaking them down further and seeking input and direction on how the Guild and RPA can support these through their advocacy.
Featuring interactive sessions and activities using real-world case studies, participants will gain actionable insights and strategies to adapt, embrace, and succeed in a changing healthcare landscape.
Topics to be covered in 2025 include:
- Understanding change in rural pharmacy: Insights into current practice and future directions.
- Adaptive strategies: Practical approaches to integrating new practices such as full scope.
- Leadership in times of change: Building resilience and leading your team effectively.
Rural Health Month is also a great opportunity to launch the 2025 Rural Pharmacy video competition, themed “Rural pharmacy: Our people, our strength.” Together with RPA, the Guild is holding this annual competition to encourage rural pharmacy to showcase how they creatively solve the issues they face. For 2025, participants are challenged to tell their story about attracting, recruiting, and retaining great staff, highlighting the rewarding and sometimes humorous aspects of rural pharmacy and drawing attention to the innovative approaches that meet communities' needs.
Check out last year’s winners from Pharmacy 777 in the rural town of Port Hedland, WA. In their video they capture how they have enacted their plan to support their staff and community, including staff training and events and how they build relationships with other local health practitioners in the town:
All rural pharmacists and pharmacy staff are encouraged to join in this important month of awareness and engagement. Whether by sharing a unique story on social media or learning from peers at the rural pharmacy forum, rural pharmacy is a key part of the solution so that all Australians have access to quality care—no matter where they live.
Want to know more and participate?
- The rural pharmacy forum will take place as part of APP2025. You can register to attend now, and the program will be released in November 2024. Subscribe for APP updates here.
- To learn more about the 2025 Rural Pharmacy video competition, visit the Guild website and start planning your video entry!
- To participate in Rural Health Month, shine a spotlight on rural communities and healthcare by sharing your story with the hashtags #NationalRuralHealthMonth and #NRHM24.
