Engaging with the community on a professional, social, business and health level is the driving philosophy behind the work of the pharmacists and staff at Wheatbelt Health Centre Pharmacy in Northam WA.
And so successful has this approach been that the pharmacy has been announced as the winner of the Excellence in Community Engagement category of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's Pharmacy of the Year competition.
The awards, sponsored by Care Pharmaceuticals and QCPP, are a highlight of the pharmacy calendar and recognise pharmacies that are leaders in providing innovative and optimal healthcare for members of their community.
One of the winners of the three competition categories - Excellence in Professional Innovation, Excellence in Community Engagement, and Excellence in Business Management – will be named the overall 2020 Pharmacy of the Year at the opening plenary session of APP2020 on the Gold Coast next Thursday, 19 March, at 8.30 am
Spokesperson for the judging group Nick Panayiaris, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Councillor and President of the South Australian Branch of the Guild, said Wheatbelt Health Centre Pharmacy was a standout in its approach to community relations and community engagement and service integration within their regional health centre.
"With this category, we look at how the pharmacy has identified and met gaps in addressing local health needs and also how the pharmacy has extended its reach beyond the walls of the pharmacy to better serve and educate the community," Mr Panayiaris said.
"We also look at how the pharmacy has supported the various community groups and engaged them in health communication, promotions, education and projects."
Care Pharmaceuticals' General Manager Jonathan Biddle said part of Wheatbelt Health Centre Pharmacy's approach to increasing community engagement with its pharmacists was to focus on being medication experts rather than trying to compete with discounters.
"This frees up the time of the pharmacists to engage with patients and to be available to deliver professional services," he said.
"This was a strong decision to make and reflects their commitment to providing what the community wants and also to improving the wellbeing of members of their community," he said.
"Their recognition and respect as medication experts who know about and care deeply for their community have grown.
"They now find GPs and other health care professionals refer patients to them because they can trust the level of clinical skills and service delivery the pharmacy prides itself on."
