Attendees at the Reception heard keynote addresses from Premier Steven Miles MP, Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Minister for Women, Hon. Shannon Fentiman MP, and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli MP.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch President Chris Owen thanked the Premier, Minister, and Opposition Leader for their support and paid tribute to the achievements of those who received awards last night.
"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 places on community pharmacy in Queensland," said Mr Owen.
"While we’re just over halfway through 2024, we've made significant progress this year in providing more options for Queensland patients to receive front-line health care services in their community pharmacies," said Mr Owen.
"To name just a few, we've seen the first occasions of care for the Queensland Community Pharmacy Hormonal Contraception Pilot, increasing numbers of patients coming through the doors to access vaccines, thousands of women across the state accessing urinary tract infection (UTI) services, as well as more than 200 occasions of care for the Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot since services commenced in April.
"All of these achievements have two things in common: they allow Queenslanders more choices in accessing front-line health services and they take pressure off other areas of our health care system, especially within hospital emergency departments.”
Mr Owen also paid tribute to those who received official recognition for their efforts this year.
"The President's Award is the highest honour that a Branch President of The Pharmacy Guild of Australia can bestow," said Mr Owen. “It is designed to recognise outstanding achievements and exceptional individuals for their contribution to community pharmacy. Congratulations to our 2024 winners.”
The first President’s Award of the evening was awarded to Amanda Seeto, a member of the Queensland Guild Branch Committee and the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer for the Australasian College of Pharmacy.
“Amanda commenced her career in pharmacy in 1998 and has represented the Queensland Guild members with distinction for the past decade. She has played a pivotal role in Queensland’s very deserved reputation as the leading and most innovative branch of The Pharmacy Guild,” shared Mr Owen. “She has recently commenced her appointment as the Chief Executive Officer for the Australasian College of Pharmacy where I am certain she will continue to innovate and support community pharmacy across Australia.”
Jennifer Huang, the Senior Financial Controller for The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland was also awarded the President’s Award this year.
“Since commencing her role with the Queensland Guild in 2023, Jennifer has introduced significant efficiency into both her team and the Branch as a whole. Her ability to collaborate and ensure others have appropriate financial understanding of the business is second to none,” Mr Owen said. “While Guild members may not directly interact with Jen, the impact of her work has brought significant value and an improved experience to Guild membership.”
Mr Owen also introduced the Full Scope Appreciation Certificate, which was offered this year to recognise extraordinary service and dedication to the Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot. Recipients of the Full Scope Appreciation Certificate were:
Andrew Harman Sara Kemp Kylie Birkinshaw Annie Green Kate Gunthorpe
John Smithson Andrew Hale
