‘An amazing asset to the profession’: Dr Karlee Johnston wins 2023 Australian Clinical Pharmacy Award
Dr Karlee Johnston – clinical pharmacist, highly sought educator and avid researcher – has received the 2023 Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) Australian Clinical Pharmacy Award in the closing plenary of Medicines Management (MM2023), the 47th SHPA National Conference in Cairns on Saturday evening.
A practicing clinical pharmacist for nearly two decades, Dr Johnston has chaired SHPA’s Critical Care Leadership Group, been part of the Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Practice Groups as well as a member for the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT) and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Dr Johnston’s groundbreaking research into ‘pharmacist burnout’ generated extensive publications, including The burden of COVID-19 on pharmacists which was one of the 10 most downloaded papers from the Journal of the American Pharmacists association in 2021.
In bestowing the award, SHPA President Tom Simpson commended Dr Johnston’s genuine enthusiasm for the profession, whose engaging personality makes her clinical teaching legendary.
‘Karlee has displayed incredible leadership both nationally and internationally and is regarded by many for her commitment to patient care.
‘She has been an inspiration to numerous pharmacists who regularly seek her out for her input, knowledge and guidance on any number of matters facing pharmacists especially in the area of workload management.
‘We were especially thrilled to have Karlee deliver a session during this year’s Medicines Management conference on her highly publicised research into pharmacist burnout. Naturally the turn-out was huge!
‘Karlee is an amazing asset to our profession whose impact is felt widely through her vast contributions to research, the care she delivers to her patients and genuine love for teaching.
‘Karlee’s conviction, compassion, and contribution make her a worthy recipient of the 2023 SHPA Australian Clinical Pharmacy Award.’