ON WORLD Pharmacists Day yesterday, Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) celebrated the evolving role of pharmacists to ensure safe, cost-effective and accessible care, while calling for sustained investment in the hospital pharmacy workforce.

Speaking recently at the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, AdPha President Assoc Prof Tom Simpson said AdPha is committed to supporting the individual pharmacist while advancing the profession as a whole.

“One cannot succeed without the other,” Assoc Prof Simpson said.

“Together they create a cycle of personal growth and collective community, which is essential to advance pharmacy practice and deliver on our mission.”

With several states and territories grappling with critical workforce shortages, Assoc Prof Simpson used the occasion to reiterate AdPha’s call for sustained investment in the hospital pharmacy workforce, noting that hospital pharmacists and technicians are crucial to patient safety.

“Hospital pharmacy shortages are real, and patients will continue to suffer if governments fail to act.

“The advanced pharmacy scope of practice in acute care and adjacent settings has grown dramatically with more complex patients, new therapies and digital health systems.

“Workforce agreements must reflect this reality by ensuring safe staffing levels, retention and sustainability,” he said.

Assoc Prof Simpson called on both the community and the government to think of pharmacists when they think of healthcare.

“Pharmacy without the pharmacist is a risk to health – governments must step up now to secure this workforce for the future,” he concluded.

Read the full address HERE.

The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) also joined the celebrations, recognising the essential role pharmacists play in delivering safe, accessible, and high-quality healthcare across Australia.

“APC is committed to supporting the advancement of the workforce and collaborating across all sectors of the profession to address challenges,” said a Council spokesperson.

“Whether managing chronic conditions in community pharmacies, educating future pharmacists, or contributing to national registration assessments, pharmacists make a meaningful impact every day.” KB

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