From our CEO

Development of Accreditation Standards

Our accreditation standards are now flexible enough and are a solid framework for whatever direction our profession decides pharmacy education might go in. As requested by the Pharmacy Board of Australia, and the Department of Health and Aged Care, we’ve begun developing accreditation standards for Pharmacist Prescriber, Aged Care On-Site Pharmacist, and Medication Management Review education programs. The capability of APC staff and Subject Matter Experts contributing to the research, consultation and development of these standards is astounding. The pharmacy profession can be assured it is in good hands.

LIPPE strategy

The Leaders in Indigenous Pharmacy Profession Education (LIPPE) Network met in January 2023 and is working on its official strategy for 2023 – 2027. I am so proud of this work and honoured to be led by our Indigenous Health Strategy Group to transform pharmacy education and practice through Indigenous leadership. More details on our strategy, LIPPE at Noon webinars and podcast are outlined in this report.

Collaboration across professions

I have continued collaboration with the Health Professions Accreditation Collaborative (HPAC) Forum, this year. I am proud to be leading a team on a research project on Interprofessional Education focussing on how accreditation bodies can work together to produce interprofessionally collaborative graduates and practitioners.

We have used our independent voice to facilitate conversation and connection both nationally and internationally. In the international space, our leadership role within the International Pharmaceutical Federation has grown this year, and I am very privileged to lead the FIP Consortium for Provision and Partnerships as the Chair of the Consortium. Additionally, many of our team have roles with other international organisations and we have presented our research and work in both conferences and the peer-reviewed literature which contributes to the body of evidence on pharmacy and health professions education.

Looking forward to the future

The future looks both exciting and challenging for APC. With the increased demand for our services, the expansion of roles of pharmacists, and the growing workforce in our profession, we are well-placed to leverage our organisation and expertise to ensure we can continue to advance and assure quality in pharmacy education. I am very grateful to my fabulous team and our supportive Board to allow us to grow and support our profession to meet the needs of our communities.