Pharmacy students promote a bright future and the value of recognition
The future has never looked brighter for pharmacy students as reflected in the latest and fifth issue of the Australian Pharmacy Students’ Journal (APSJ), the world’s first peer-reviewed pharmacy student journal.
Compiled and edited by dedicated editors from the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA), with longstanding support from the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA), ‘The Future is Bright’ issue looks at the past, present and future of the pharmacy world from the expansion of scope of practice to pharmacy specialisation and new discoveries in the pharmacy field.
Co-Editors-in-Chief of the APSJ Annabelle Gov and Brielle Geard open the issue with an editorial welcome highlighting the countless opportunities for growth that exist in the profession today deriving from the advancing roles of pharmacists and the many changes occurring across the industry including the Scope of Practice pilot, Partnered Pharmacist Medication Prescribing (PPMP) and vaccinations just to name a few.
SHPA President Tom Simpson and Brielle Geard then delve into The Value of Recognition in the Pharmacy Profession focusing on the importance of recognition for pharmacist interns and students. This special collaborative feature outlines steps for students and interns to track, plan and manage their careers through Australasia’s first comprehensive recognition program – the Australian and New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy (ANZCAP).
The issue also includes a special feature from the Pharmacists’ Support Service Executive Officer and 2023 SHPA Fred J Boyd Award recipient, Kay Dunkley, and pharmacy intern Chloe Kappel on The Importance of Compassion in Healthcare – a collaborative piece highlighting the importance of empathy and understanding in pharmacy for both pharmacists and patients.
An initiative of NAPSA, and proudly supported by SHPA as strategic partner, APSJ provides students with a unique opportunity to publish research. SHPA President Tom Simpson says he is honoured to have contributed to this issue noting the ‘bright future’ is very much reflected in the calibre of talent regularly seen coming through the student ranks.
‘It has never been more important for pharmacy students to expand the breadth of their skills to prepare for the pharmacy world of tomorrow and it always amazes me how well equipped many of these students are already.
‘It was an absolute pleasure working alongside Brielle to look at the value of recognition in the profession and show how a platform like ANZCAP can provide an open space to start mapping your pharmacy future.
‘SHPA is proud to be APSJ’s strategic partner and support more students to make a positive impact on the pharmacy profession now and into the future.’
The APSJ sits alongside the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (JPPR), Pharmacy GRIT, the NAPSA-SHPA Student Symposium, Provisional (intern) Membership, internship support and Foundation Residencies and Advanced Training Residencies in SHPA’s suite of programs and resources providing a path into the challenging and rewarding world of specialised pharmacy practice.
Voluntary APSJ Peer Reviewer positions remain open to students currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Pharmacy Honours and/or Masters of Pharmacy, or current Pharmacy Interns with prior research experience.
APSJ article submissions are open to current Pharmacy Students and Interns in the form of original research articles, academic review articles, and case reports. Research in which an academic has supported a student will be accepted, however the student must have led the research, and must be the main author.