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Putting People First

This past year saw APC yet again stretch capabilities and collaborate endlessly to enhance our processes.

We redesigned services that will serve us well into the future, and we centred this around one thing – the people we serve. This included a restructure to put our candidates at the centre of our user designed experiences – including a portal update and establishment of our Candidate Relationship Team to support candidates through their journey with APC.

We will always aim to adapt our services to meet the evolving needs of our stakeholders and staff. Not only through pandemics, but always.

Meeting Increasing and Changing Demands

In July 2021, the Department of Home Affairs based on expert advice from the National Skills Commission and consultation with Commonwealth departments, included Pharmacy on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). This has increasingly meant greater demand on APC services to assess potential overseas trained candidates.

To meet these ongoing demands, we embarked on an ambitious change to our operations, expanding the role of Corporate Services to include a broader remit. This created the role of the Chief Operating Officer.

Amongst these changes was the decision to establish a dedicated Candidate Relationship Team to focus on candidates through their entire journey with APC. This also allows our Assessments and Examinations teams to focus on their fundamental regulatory roles that underpin our services. The Candidate Relationship Team will be the first point of call for all candidate enquires and support them through what is a challenging and high-stakes process, especially those who have trained overseas who also need to navigate unfamiliar processes. We have many ambitious plans to support our candidates, and the next 12 months will be critical in embedding our new service delivery approach and supporting candidates where possible through greater access to support materials and guidance.

Supporting APC through Covid

Our highest priority has been to continue to keep our candidates, stakeholders and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s transition to ‘Covid-normal’ conditions. We have continued to support and guide our people and stakeholders through this unprecedented time.

We continue to follow the guidance of the Australian Government Department of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO), as well as the health directions issued by each Australian State and Territory. We will continue to update our staff, candidates, accredited providers, and the public on new information as soon as it becomes available.

Vaccination stance

We strongly encourage vaccinations, as recommended by the Australian Government Department of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The APC Board and staff are fully vaccinated.

Examination candidates

We engage Pearson VUE to manage all our examination centres. Pearson VUE continue to monitor government instructions regarding COVID-19 management and diligently follow the directions for each jurisdiction, both here and overseas.

Subject Matter Experts and Assessors

Accreditation and exam subject matter experts, accreditation assessors, working group members and consultants who are meeting face-to-face for APC work continue to follow the guidelines and instructions as recommended by the Australian Government and specific rules at meeting locations. This is in place for the safety of everyone and to accommodate all logistical constraints. Rapid Antigen Test kits are made available to support a Covid-safe environment.

Staff and Our Canberra Office

Throughout 2021-22, we have continued to follow the guidance of the ACT Government which has necessitated some office closures. Our operating environment is well equipped for this, and our people have been able to pivot to remote working without impacting their busy workloads. Although not ideal, this has worked seamlessly on each occasion. These experiences have also allowed APC to refine our flexible work arrangements and establish processes around ongoing hybrid work arrangements. As part of our strategy to manage disruption to our business and the personal lives of our people, we supplied RAT tests and face masks for staff and visitors and provided up to 5 days paid Covid leave for staff who succumb to the virus.

Supporting our Candidates

We commenced a large investment in providing greater support for our candidates. We have restructured our team to create a dedicated Candidate Relationship Team to support candidates throughout their whole journey with APC. Overseas trained pharmacists have several touch points with our service, but we also recognise that as demand for our services increases, so does the need to provide contemporary service delivery models to provide the best support. This also paves the way for enhanced support through additional materials and specific guidance to support candidates.

Journey of an Overseas Pharmacist

The journey to becoming a pharmacist in Australia can take some time. But we’ll help them navigate the process. We designed an animation video as an overview of steps involved in becoming a pharmacist in Australia. It’s for those who received their pharmacist qualification overseas and wish to work in or migrate to Australia. Watch How to become a pharmacist in Australia.

Candidate Portal Review

The current Candidate Portal content was due for review. We identified some areas which are at times confusing candidates. To ensure that we are meeting candidate needs as clearly and simply as possible, we undertook a complete review the Candidate Portal. The project’s purpose was to remedy current pain points, misunderstandings, and confusions for candidates within the candidate portal. As a result, we reduced triggered errors in the backend, phone calls and enquiries to APC staff.

This project took much of the year and some further updates are still being applied. Indeed, the portal is a dynamic product that requires regular updating as we continue to reform our business operations and find new and more efficient ways to support our candidates through their journey with us. Changes included:

  • Competency and Knowledge dashboards
  • Intern exam and New Zealand CAOP and KAPS exam dashboards
  • International student and NZ registered pharmacist dashboards
  • Skills assessment eligibility check application

 

Supporting our People

In order to support our stakeholders and candidates, we need strong internal capabilities and support for our most precious asset – our people. We have worked hard through the year to support our team and stakeholders through the ongoing pandemic restrictions which have continued to disrupt all normal operations – including APC. It has also identified new ways of working that we have embraced.

Flexible Working

We are fortunate that many of our functions can be continued remotely, albeit less effectively at times, but we also recognise that the forced changes to working arrangements have fast-tracked opportunities for hybrid working arrangements. An effective hybrid work strategy was important for us to understand and protect the importance of workplace contact, but also recognise that there are substantial work-life and even productivity benefits from hybrid working arrangements. Simply, we want the best of both worlds.
Introducing contemporary flexible work arrangements has been dominated by the pandemic lockdown situations, but our agile team have ensured that we can lock in the great elements that we have experienced in our working arrangements and regain the parts we so dearly missed. Our hybrid arrangements balance the office and remote working opportunities to maximise these benefits and has already had a positive impact in recruitment activities – it was identified as a strong drawcard for prospective employees. We hope that this also supports staff retention of our valuable people.

Wellbeing Support

We have a strong relationship with our EAP providers, and that support has been invaluable for the new that have needed support over these difficult times. We are also supported by ongoing support and materials that help us support our people when they need it most.
We are also proactive in our wellbeing support. We continue to provide wellbeing assistance to our people and arranged a number of team events, when the pandemic allowed. In particular, we undertook a team building day in May which delved deep into our team and how they are managing. Overwhelmingly, we understood that we have a strong cohesive team which is highly supportive. This continues to be demonstrated in our daily work and interactions.

Professional Development

We’re passionate about collaborating, learning and creating. Although it has been a difficult year to attend events and training, we have done what we could, when we could. Our investment in professional development and team building activities and building on our people’s professional development goals.

Sustainability

We’re maintaining our stance on sustainability. We are an accredited ACTSmart organisation, engaging in a Business Recycling Program. Our aim is to minimise waste and contribute to decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

The Australian Pharmacy Council acknowledges Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders, past, present and emerging.

© Australian Pharmacy Council 2022

Annual Report by Stream Design
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