ePlacebo - March/April 2024

ePlacebo MARCH/APRIL 2024

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Contents President’s Report All About the APSJ Charity Cup PSA24 Branch Update - SAPSA PDL Guides Gold Cross Branch Update - CaSPA More than ever - A/Prof Fei Sim ANZCAP Pharmacy Student of the Year Medicines Management 2024 Vital facts on community pharmacy - PGA PSA Upcoming Events

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President’s Report PRESIDENT

Dear friends,

Bano Serhan

It is with great pleasure that we present this issue of the ePlacebo!

NAPSA’s annual Charity Cup is well underway and our branches are head-to -head competing to raise the most funds and awareness for QENDO, a peak organisation for those affected by endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS, infertility, or pelvic pain.

Many individuals with endometriosis suffer for years before receiving a proper diagnosis, therefore, increased awareness can help individuals recognise symptoms earlier and seek appropriate medical care. Increased awareness can also drive research, funding, and innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. By highlighting the importance of addressing this condition, we can encourage investment in research that may lead to better therapies and improved outcomes for those affected.

Overall, endometriosis awareness is essential for improving early detection, access to care, and support for individuals living with this chronic condition.

By raising awareness, we can work towards a future where all individuals with endometriosis receive timely and effective treatment, and no one suffers in silence. If you would like to be involved in NAPSA’s Charity Cup, please reach out to your local NAPSA branch!

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The Pharmacy Guild of Australia's annual conference, the Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference and Trade Exhibition (APP), was held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in March. I would like to thank the Pharmacy Guild of Australia for inviting the NAPSA Executive Directors and I to attend APP 2024, and for hosting such an engaging and inspiring event for the profession.

NAPSA offered two all-inclusive scholarships to APP for pharmacy students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to and have strong aspirations for working in community pharmacy. Alisha Rodrigo (2nd Year UWAMPS) and Fawaaz Malek (1st Year VPSA) were the winners of the scholarship, and both spent their time immersing themselves in all of the activities and workshops APP had to offer. We also held our annual NAPSA Alumni Networking event at APP! A special thanks to our alumni chair, Xavier Vasquez, for organising a stunner of an event!

In other exciting news, The Australian and New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy (ANZCAP) has opened submissions to pharmacy students across Australia for its inaugural Pharmacy Student of the Year Award. The winner, to be announced in September, will receive flights, accommodation, and registration to attend Medicines Management 2024, Australia’s largest annual scientific pharmacy conference, happening in Adelaide in November. It is a great opportunity for NAPSA members to gain formal recognition through post-nominals and certification and an excellent way to demonstrate their experience and expertise!

Until next time, Bano Serhan

NAPSA National President 2023/2024 president@napsa.org.au

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All About the APSJ RESEARCH DIRECTOR

A Journal created by students, for students.

How can you elevate your student journey and become an author?

Annabelle Gov

The Australian Pharmacy Students’ Journal (APSJ) is a NAPSA initiative, created for pharmacy students to publish original research, feature articles, opinion pieces, and more! The APSJ is the first pharmacy students' Journal in the world. It is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that reviews articles in a double-blind fashion.

The APSJ is published biannually, with the Summer Issue at the end of February, and the Winter Issue at the end of July.

The target audience of the Journal is pharmacy students and interns across Australia, as well as overseas. Many students complete research as part of their degree and the APSJ is there to provide the opportunity to publish in an academic Journal. It is an amazing platform to share your work, and improve your communication abilities, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills within a team environment. These skills can be then applied in all areas of the pharmacy workforce, regardless of the chosen field. The Journal aims to strengthen the quality of student-led research around the world and promote its importance and value in the pharmacy industry.

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Not a research student? The APSJ has lots to offer!

You can still publish feature articles and letters on any pharmacy topic you want. The APSJ also holds its biannual opinion piece competition, open to all pharmacy students and interns around the world. This is an opportunity for you to write an opinion piece based on your individual experiences and aspirations. You can also become a student reviewer and participate in the publication process.

The APSJ Summer Issue 2024 “The Future is Bright” is out now and we are delighted to share it with you. The future holds great potential for students, as they are in the perfect place to witness where the pharmacy profession is headed. This is the message we want to convey in this issue: the future of pharmacy has never looked brighter, and we invite you to partake in this journey. Stay tuned for our Winter Issue coming soon!

Any questions?

We will be holding our second APSJ Info Night on Friday 17th of May 6:30 pm AEST, an estimated 1 hour Q&A session targeted at students interested in publishing their work and wanting to know more about the Journal and the processes involved in publishing. This will be an opportunity for students to hear from past authors, academics, and Co-Editors-in-Chief. All questions can be directed to Annabelle Gov at <research@napsa.org.au>.

Annabelle Gov NAPSA Research Director 2023/2024 research@napsa.org.au

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Charity Cup Charity Cup is an annual NAPSA event in which each University Student Association competes to raise the most money for a chosen charity. This year, NAPSA voted on QENDO to be the charity for 2024. QENDO is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to raise awareness and support women’s health – particularly conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS. Pharmacy is typically a female-dominated profession, and for me, it was very exciting to be supporting QENDO and showing our support.

PHARMACY AWARENESS CHAIR

Chloe Kappel

So far, we are about half way through Charity Cup, and each university has been holding some amazing fundraisers and events to try and win that trophy! Seeing everyone’s ideas and enthusiasm has been such a highlight for me, and I am excited to see more – and to see who takes home the win.

Not long after Charity Cup comes to a close on May 17th, we will begin preparations for Vampire Cup – to which JCU are the reigning champs.

This year, we’ve added another exciting component, where we have partnered with the Bone Marrow Donor Registry to support their initiative and try and get as many donors on the registry as we can! Contact your local branch about getting involved!

Chloe Kappel NAPSA Pharmacy Awareness Chair 2023/2024 pharmacy.awareness@napsa.org.au

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Branch Update South Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (SAPSA) As SAPSA reflects on another year, we celebrate our wins and recognise what we may need to work on going and growing forward as the peak pharmacy student body in SA. In July 2023, SAPSA marked a significant milestone with the celebration of our 100th Birthday, with the annual Gala Ball! Representatives from our proud and esteemed sponsors: The Pharmacy Guild of Australia SA Branch, Priceline Pharmacy, National Pharmacies, Chemist Warehouse, The Healthy Collective, and Pharmaceutical Defence Limited, along with students, alumni, and staff attended the event at the stunning Plant4Bowden location.

And, served as a celebration and reflection of SAPSA’s rich history and transformative impact on pharmacy education within South Australia.

2024 kicked off with the return of our highly requested ‘Pharmacy Profession Awareness Day’ (PPAD), which proceeded to be one of the biggest events SAPSA has run post-COVID, a testament to our dedication to connecting our members with the pharmacy industry. With 21 industry companies represented, spanning across hospital pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, community pharmacy, and more, SAPSA saw 300 students attend throughout the day. The feedback from both sponsors and students was overwhelmingly positive, and has set the tone for what to expect during the rest of the year.

Following the successful campaigning for separate PSOTY finalists from both SA and NT, UniSA and PSA facilitated SA’s PSOTY finals for the first time in 8 years, and, after a last-minute nomination, I am proud to announce that Calumn Gunn will be representing South Australia at the national PSOTY finals in August 2024!

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SAPSA’s 2024 objective is increasing our reach within the student spaces, and planning for a dynamic future within the new “Adelaide University”, which becomes operational in just over 18 months. With five committee positions being filled by current first-year pharmacy students, we cannot wait to see what this new age of SAPSA will achieve.

Currently, SAPSA’s social responsibility is in focus with our participation in NAPSA’s 2024 Charity Cup, raising awareness and funds for QENDO and the women’s health epidemic. Our annual trivia night (supported by The Healthy Collective) and a free education session delivered by 6 incredible women’s health experts are both happening in early May! As SAPSA prepares to host delegates from across the country for NAPSA’s 2024 AGM in July, we are excited to showcase our beautiful city, but also to have a national presence in our state, highlighting the importance of collective action to a career in pharmacy - and the role of NAPSA in that.

Xoxo SAPSA Love Erin Fawcett SAPSA President 2023/2024

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Branch Update Canberra Student Pharmacy Association (CaSPA) Hey everyone, I trust you're all hanging in there as we navigate through the intense stretch of the semester with assignments and exams looming ahead.

CaSPA has been bustling this past semester, despite being one of the smaller branches of NAPSA, we are always trying to show our larger counterparts that we can keep up.

One of our standout moments this year was our annual Pharmacy Ball/Awards Night. It was a chance for us to unwind with our peers and industry professionals, celebrating academic achievements. This year marked the 20th anniversary of CaSPA, making the night even more special.

We were very lucky that one of our own, a fourth-year student, wowed the audience with a heartfelt violin performance, which further added to the memorable atmosphere of the night. We were also delighted to welcome many CaSPA alumni, making the event truly wholesome by showcasing the full spectrum of the pharmacy industry.

Following this milestone event, we hosted two educational sessions for our members. The first was a session by A Gender Agenda, offering insights into Trans, Gender Diverse, and Intersex communities. The second session, which was presented by Smith and Nephew, focused on Wound Care Training, shedding light on the importance of moist wound-care healing in community pharmacy.

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We were also thrilled to launch a limited-edition merchandise line of jumpers, featuring a stylish design with 'side effects may vary' emblazoned across the back. The response from both alumni and students was overwhelmingly positive.

NAPSA Congress was yet another highlight of the year, with a sizable delegation from CaSPA heading down to Hobart for a week of engaging social events and educational sessions. The Congress strengthened our ties with other NAPSA branches, fostering new relationships and igniting our passion for greater involvement in the profession (Shoutout to SUPA, JCUPSA, QUTSPA, UoNAPS!).

We've also seen a surge in interest from first-year students eager to support CaSPA. It's clear that the future holds much success for our branch.

We appreciate your support as we continue our journey in pharmacy.

Looking ahead, we're excited to share our achievements and camaraderie with you in the pharmacy community.

Best regards, Xavier Vasquez CaSPA President

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More than ever It was clear in our conversations this year that there is an increasing awareness and appreciation for the role of pharmacists, particularly as part of the primary and tertiary care team.

PSA NATIONAL PRESIDENT

A /Prof Fei Sim

It comes as no surprise that the last few months, and in fact the last year, have been some of our busiest yet.

Despite these challenges, PSA once again celebrated Thank Your Pharmacist Day, a key date on our calendar that acknowledges the often thankless contribution of Australian pharmacists.

As part of our Thank Your Pharmacist Day campaign each year, we speak to a wide range of stakeholders, politicians, and health sector leaders to draw attention to the critical role of our profession across a huge range of roles. Whether it was before, during or after the pandemic, pharmacists’ commitment has been consistent.

It was clear in our conversations this year that there is an increasing awareness and appreciation for the role of pharmacists, particularly as part of the primary and tertiary care team.

While there is still a long way to go, it’s important that we acknowledge the sustained journey that has led to this acknowledgement. Years of strong advocacy has led to the expansion of pharmacist-administered vaccinations, the initiation of prescribing programs to treat uncomplicated UTIs, skin conditions and women’s health conditions, and the emergence of innovative practice areas and roles.

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Through all our work, PSA continues to advocate for pharmacists to play a greater role in all levels of health care, promoting quality use of medicines and medicine safety, improving access to care in the management of a range of common ailments and chronic health conditions.

We know that through these times of change, every pharmacist needs someone in their corner –this is key to what we do at PSA. Our team are working day in and day out to ensure that Australia’s pharmacists have access to the nation leading education, critical resources, and practice support that you need to succeed. Whilst there are still uncertainties, one thing I can reassure you is that PSA will always be here to support pharmacists throughout the evolution of pharmacist practice.

Associate Professor Fei Sim PSA National President

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PSA Upcoming Events For more information on any of the PSA’s Upcoming Events, check out their website - https://www.psa.org.au/networking-events/all-events/ May 2024 Tuesday 14th May - Travel Health Services in the Statewide Community Pharmacy Pilot - Live Webinar Tuesday 28th May - An interdisciplinary approach to palliative care in SW Sydney - Live Webinar Friday 31st May - VIC/TAS Annual Therapeutic Update 2024 - Hobart, TAS June 2024 Wednesday 5th June - Persistent Pain: Optimise Patient Function - Live Webinar

Edited by Mia Avram NAPSA Publications Chair 2023/2024 Email: publications@napsa.org.au

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