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22 Sep 2017
Marked worldwide on Monday 25 September 2017, this year’s theme is ‘From research to healthcare: Your pharmacist is at your service’.
As the body responsible for regulating Australia’s 30,360* pharmacists, the Board is highlighting the important and diverse roles of pharmacists in the health of the Australian community.
‘Community access to a pharmacist at a local or hospital pharmacy is commonplace today, but not many people are aware of the other important roles that pharmacists perform. This year’s theme is a chance to highlight that,’ Board Chair William Kelly said.
The pharmacy profession’s provision of accessible, high quality healthcare services and advice is supported by other pharmacy roles that may not be so visible to the wider public, such as the education of future pharmacists, the management and delivery of clinical trials of new medicines, the provision of advice to Government on pharmaceutical policy and in the defence forces.
‘Pharmacists involved in research and evaluation contribute significantly to health policy and services while focusing on topics such as advancements in pharmacy practice, drug discovery or clinical services,’ Mr Kelly said.
Pharmacists are an important part of collaborative care with pharmacists embedded in hospital healthcare teams, and more recently some working as non-dispensing pharmacists in general practice.
‘Such developments in pharmacy practice show the important role of pharmacists not only in helping to manage a patient’s medication but also in their overall care, and of the vital contribution made by pharmacists who are keen to research and evaluate how the profession can better help the community,’ Mr Kelly said.
The varied roles of pharmacists is reflected in the Board’s definition of practice, which is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care, and includes any other roles that impact on the safe, effective delivery of services in the profession. This definition in outlined in each of the Board’s registration standards.
‘On behalf of the Board I’d like to thank all pharmacists for the difference they make, whether it be providing advice about a medicine to a patient, evaluating and improving the use of drugs in a health facility, or providing expert pharmaceutical advice to Government,’ Mr Kelly said.
As part of its core role to protect the public, the Board regulates pharmacists through exercising its functions under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).
The Board sets out the registration standards that establish the requirements for pharmacists to be registered to practise competently and safely in Australia. It also publishes codes and guidelines for pharmacists and maintains the register of pharmacists which can be accessed from the home page.
Meeting the Board’s requirements for registration and practice, including completion of the annual continuing professional development requirements, maintaining professional indemnity insurance arrangements and complying with all Board registration standards, codes and guidelines, supports safe delivery of important services by pharmacists to the public.
William Kelly Chair Pharmacy Board of Australia
* As at June 2017