From the President: Accredited pharmacists will always have a home at PSA

As many of you would have seen, the Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy (AACP) will cease operations at the end of 2022.

The PSA has committed to offering all pharmacists accreditation opportunities through its new Accreditation Credentialling Program, along with career-long support for pharmacists, from pharmacists. This program has been developed by PSA based on specialist advice from PSA’s Accreditation Expert Advisory Group (EAG), under the leadership of Chair Debbie Rigby FPS, alongside Associate Professor Chris Freeman FPS, Deborah Hawthorne MPS, Dr Andrew Stafford MPS, Dr Manya Angley FPS and Tim Perry FPS. Thank you to the EAG members for their insight, hard work and support in getting the PSA accreditation model up and running.

As the career partner of all pharmacists, PSA has a long history of supporting accredited pharmacists. We are the only peak body representing pharmacists across all practice settings. We are acutely aware of the importance of accreditation not least in driving quality in medicine review services, but also as a pathway for career progression within pharmacy.

I am also excited to announce that PSA will be offering accredited pharmacists the opportunity to come together for a weekend of high-quality education tailored for accredited consultant pharmacists, those undergoing their accreditation and those looking to advance their practice.

The PSA’s dedicated conference for accredited pharmacists will be hosted in Adelaide, South Australia from 5–7 May next year.

The EAG will guide the organisation of the conference, ensuring that it continues to meet the needs of accredited pharmacists – from program and speakers, to networking and engagement activities.

The PSA has a strong vision for the future of accredited pharmacists, which will build on the foundations laid by AACP. I am excited for the future of our profession and look forward to continuing our support for accredited pharmacists across Australia.

On the topic of career partnership and growth, this edition of AP looks at the rapidly expanding and novel roles. The hospital pharmacy sector has grown rapidly in recent years. This is a reflection of the recognition of the importance of hospital pharmacists in supporting safe, effective and responsible medicine use in every part of the hospital system.

The PSA is excited to support hospital pharmacists through advocacy, which has seen further growth such as securing new state government funding for postdischarge hospital pharmacists in Queensland. In this issue, we celebrate the innovative work of some of our hospital pharmacist members. Regardless of your practice setting, I know you will be inspired and excited by how hands-on many new roles have become.

SAVE THE DATE: PSA Accredited Consultant Pharmacists Conference, Adelaide Convention Centre, 5–7 May 2023.