Chair's Message

It’s been an incredibly  busy year for all pharmacists and even more so for PSWA as we celebrated the 130th anniversary of the Society.  One of the highlights of the year was the PSWA 130th Birthday Party held at the Parmelia Hilton Hotel  in August. Nearly 130 members attended the party and enjoyed networking, dining and dancing and even a little magic. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the pharmacists that have come before us, creating and driving the Society as we know it today, while also acknowledging the challenges and achievements of the past two years and embracing the exciting future of the profession.

On the 24 October the PSWA annual general meeting was held at the State Buildings in Perth, exactly 130 years to the day and less than 100m from the location of the first meeting to form the Society. Following the AGM, members moved to a private function area to recognise the 2022 Eric Kirk Memorial Award winner,  Dr Phillip Passmore.  Phillip’s commitment to pharmacy in WA and internationally, has had a profound impact on pharmacy practice and the health of communities in many developing countries. His achievements are inspirational.

Also recognised at the Pharmacy Celebration was Glenn Angel, the winner of the 2022 PSWA Pharma Pitch Perfect competition held in July. Glenn is an innovator who is developing numerous IT applications that improve the workflow of pharmacies.

As 2022 comes to a close, it is worth recognising that your PSWA Board has developed some strategic plans for 2023 including a review of the JM O’Hara Research Fund (JMOHRF) to ensure that the fund is achieving our vision of being the major facilitator of pharmacy practice development in WA through innovative research.  We will be reaching out to members and stakeholders to gain an understanding of opinions and expectations of the fund.  Our goal is to ensure the JMOHRF provides funding for innovative research that has the potential to translate into positive outcomes in pharmacy practice and deliver health benefits to Western Australians.

I’d also like to acknowledge Dean Schulze who stepped down from his role as Board Member and Chair of PSWA after 8 years’ service. Dean has been an outstanding leader of PSWA  and has also served many other pharmacy organisations, including PDL, and still maintains a role of the Pharmacy Registration Board of WA. On behalf of all our members I thank Dean for his leadership, dedication and commitment to PSWA.

Finally, I would like to thank all our members and stakeholders for your ongoing support and wish you a Merry Christmas, a relaxing holiday season and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Best wishes  

Richard Smirk

Chair, Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia

Jocelyn Sisson