PSA awards leading Queensland pharmacists

At the 2024 Queensland Excellence Awards in Brisbane on Saturday night, these five pharmacists were honoured for their commitment to excellence in pharmacy practice.

PSA Queensland President Shane MacDonald MPS acknowledged the achievements of the award winners as well as the continued dedication of pharmacists practising throughout the state.

‘It’s an inspiration to see the amazing work pharmacists are doing in communities across Queensland, and a great privilege to recognise them for their dedication in advancing the profession,’ he said.

‘On behalf of the PSA I congratulate the outstanding pharmacists presented with awards and thank them for their commitment to bettering the health of Queenslanders.’

PSA Queensland Pharmacist of the Year Associate Professor Esther Lau MPS, University of Queensland

One of the first trained pharmacy vaccinators in Australia, A/Prof Lau was the cornerstone for the development of Australia’s first non-medical prescribing course at Queensland Institute of Technology, a foundation for the expansion of the current North Queensland practice prescribing pilots. For the past decade she has written AP’s Old Drug New Indication column, mentored many students and reviewed the APF and PSA’s 2023 Professional Practice Standards.

PSA Queensland Early Career Pharmacist of the Year James Buckley MPS, LiveLife Pharmacy Port Douglas

Filling a critical gap in his Far North Queensland community, Mr Buckley upskilled in otoscopy to accurately identify conditions like otitis media and otitis externa, as well as collaborative pathways to ensure patients were referred seamlessly for timely treatment. One of the first pharmacists to pass the North Queensland Pharmacist Full Scope of Practice Pilot, he sits on the ECP Community of Specialty Interest (CSI) leadership group and promotes pharmacy practice to students and interns.

PSA Queensland Intern Pharmacist of the Year Antonia Hurd, Kepnock Pharmacy Bundaberg

Interning at four separate pharmacies in Bundaberg, Peregian Springs, remote Agnes Water and regional town Cooroy, Ms Hurd has demonstrated exceptional leadership and initiative across pharmacy services including managing a dose administration aid service, an R U OK Day presentation, training in compounding and providing vaccination and first aid advice. Her research on managing the quality of life for people living with severe and persistent mental illness is anticipated to be published as part of the PhaMIbridge trial.

Lifetime Achievement Award Beverley Glass FPS, James Cook University

After a lifetime of service and devotion to the pharmacy profession as a clinician, teacher, researcher, academic and advocate, South African-born Professor Glass has made an outstanding contribution to the development of pharmacy education, practice and research, specifically within rural and remote Queensland and Australia. She has invested immense  amounts of time into the future academic workforce, some of whom are among her 50 honours and 33 PhD and Masters students.

Professor James Dare Graduate of the Year Shylee-Jade Hadar-Pagliari, James Cook University

As a final year pharmacy student, Ms Hadar-Pagliari has packed in many experiences since starting as a pharmacy assistant in 2020. Not only does she represent NAPSA students at pharmacy conferences, she has learned under supervision at the Alive Pharmacy Warehouse in Cairns how to dispense medicines, assist patients with non-prescription requests and run the complex compounding laboratory. She is known for her caring nature with patients.