ADVANCED Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) launched Medicines Management 2025 - Australia's largest scientific pharmacy conference - this morning, with President Associate Professor Tom Simpson providing delegates with an overview of organisation's achievements over the last year, and the future direction for AdPha and hospital pharmacy.
He began with a reflection on last year's conference in Adelaide, where Health Minister Mark Butler said the rebrand to AdPha demonstrated to the profession and to the government, that members are stepping up to support the profession as it is being called upon to expand its scope of practice and share its expertise in new and increasingly innovative ways.
"Twelve months on, that's exactly what we've done - we've stepped up and got on with the job," he said.
Assoc Prof Simpson explained that AdPha makes three promises to its members, the profession more broadly, stakeholders and patients.
"Connection - AdPha's structures help you create bridges that span geography, practice settings, and career stages.
"Collaboration - AdPha's structures help you break down the silos within and between hospital, community, aged care, and general practice, recognising the collective strength comes from our diversity.
"And identity - we all together strengthen what it means to be a pharmacist or a technician in an area in which both roles are rapidly evolving and expanding," he said.
In delivering on these, Assoc Prof Simpson spoke of some of AdPha's projects, including the Pharmacy Forecast Australia 2025 (PD 13 Nov) and the launch of the first competency standards for pharmacy technicians in hospitals and health services (PD 22 Oct).
Understanding what is happening today is integral to delivering on its aims, he said, and AdPha's workforce insights report highlighted dire shortages that have left three-quarters of hospitals cutting pharmacy services.
Assoc Prof Simpson reiterated the urgent call for a dedicated national pharmacy workforce plan.
Meanwhile the opening plenary also saw the announcement of the 2025 Distinguished Fellow, which was presented to Rosemary Burke - the eighth ever recipient of the honour.
"This is an honour that recognises that some members impact has been so great that it has transformed the organisation and transformed the way pharmacy is practised in the country," Assoc Prof Simpson said.
The final award announced this morning was the 2025 Fred J Boyd Award, with Professor Michael Barras named as recipient. KB
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