Sarah Courtney,Minister for Health
Today is World Pharmacists Day and I am pleased to have celebrated the day by helping to recognise the achievements of some of Tasmania’s most exceptional pharmacists.
Two awards were announced today as part of the 2020 Tasmanian Pharmacist Awards, hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), the Pharmacy Guild, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia and the University of Tasmania.
I had the honour of presenting the Tasmanian Pharmacy Lifetime Achievement Award to Dianne Browne, pharmacy owner of the Ravenswood Pharmacy, for her dedication and commitment to the health of her local community. Dianne was joined by Ilwoo Park who received this year’s Early Career Pharmacists of the Year Award, presented by PSA Tasmania Branch President Dr Ella van Tienen.
This year’s theme for World Pharmacists Day is “Transforming global health”, and provides an opportunity for pharmacists across the State to communicate how they are transforming health outcomes through a variety of services. This includes the delivery of primary healthcare services such as vaccination programs, healthy living and wellbeing advice and community education to ensure safe and correct medication use across the Tasmanian health system, in addition to medicine dispensing services.
This message is particularly important this year, with our community pharmacists playing a valuable part of Tasmania’s frontline health care as we continue to face challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
I encourage all Tasmanians to join with me in thanking and celebrating the critical role pharmacists play in providing essential primary care services and improving patient health outcomes in our communities this World Pharmacists Day.
