The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is proud to announce the establishment of the First Nations Pharmacy Network. This landmark initiative will strengthen culturally safe and healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Guild is honoured to welcome The Honourable Linda Burney, a proud Wiradjuri woman and former Minister for Indigenous Australians, as the inaugural Chair of the Network.
The announcement was made at the Guild's Annual Parliamentary Dinner, held at Parliament House in Canberra before more than 400 political and industry stakeholders. It marks a significant milestone in the Guild's Community Pharmacy Indigenous Health Strategy, which aims to embed cultural safety, amplify community voices, and improve health outcomes for First Nations communities across Australia.
"We know there can be no Closing the Gap without collaboration," said Professor Trent Twomey, National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
With the expert guidance of Linda Burney as Chair, we are committed to ensuring culturally safe, accessible, and community-led care remains at the heart of our sector."
The collaboration with Ms Burney comes at a pivotal time, as the Guild continues to prepare for the future expansion of PBS prescribing rights and pharmacist scope of practice — a move that will further enhance access to primary care, particularly in rural and remote communities.
"I am honoured to Chair the First Nations Pharmacy Network," said The Hon. Linda Burney. "This initiative reflects the power of genuine partnership and the importance of embedding cultural safety in every part of our health system. We don't have to choose between practical and symbolic reconciliation — we can and must do both. Community-led care is not only effective, but also an act of respect."
"Community pharmacies are often the first point of contact in the health system — places where trust is built and medicines are explained. In community pharmacy, agency and autonomy are returned to patients and communities: individuals are empowered to make informed choices about their health, ask questions freely, and participate actively in their care. This approach honours cultural knowledge and community leadership, ensuring care is co-created and led by those it serves, with allies walking alongside in genuine partnership, with pharmacist owned community pharmacies.
By respecting and elevating the voices and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, we strengthen self-determination and uphold the principles at the heart of Closing the Gap.
"Pharmacists are doing great things to invest in Closing the Gap," added Professor Twomey. "But we know there's more work to do. This is about walking alongside First Nations communities, listening, and acting together."
The First Nations Community Pharmacy Network will provide a platform for lived-experience voices, cultural leadership, and practical solutions to ensure that every community pharmacy is a place of trust, healing, and cultural connection that places patients at the centre of care, strengthens access to medicines, and empowers pharmacists to practise to their full professional capability
