THE Medicines Management Conference 2023 took place in Cairns recognising the depth of talent in the medical field.

Dr Karlee Johnston (pictured R) received the 2023 Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia’s (SHPA) Australian Clinical Pharmacy Award.

A practicing clinical pharmacist, Johnston’s groundbreaking research into ‘pharmacist burnout’ generated extensive publication, 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.

‘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 her genuine love for teaching,” said SHPA President Tom Simpson (pictured top).

Russell Levy (pictured below L), a clinical authority on infectious diseases, with significant expertise in oncology and haematology, and pioneer of SHPA’s annual Pharmacy Forecast Australia, was awarded SHPA’s Medal of Merit.

“Russell is a trailblazer of the profession, and thanks to his foresight and determination we have insight into the future of pharmacy,” Simpson added.

The 2023 SHPA Early Career Pharmacist of the Year was Ashleigh Lawrence (WA), recognised for being a driver of innovation and a source of inspiration and mentorship for other early career pharmacists.

Honoured with the 2023 SHPA Technician of the Year was Tara Clayson-Fisher (Tas), recently appointed as the first Technician Observer to the SHPA Board of Directors and also inducted as an SHPA Fellow.

The VAD Pharmacy Project Team took out the 2023 SHPA Hospital Team of the Year honour for forging a safe and successful pathway for the operation of Voluntary Assisted Dying in Tas, while Emma Dall’Alba (Qld) won the 2023 SHPA Resident of the Year.

Kay Dunkley won the prestigious Fred J Boyd Award (PD 03 Nov), and first female pharmacist MP Emma McBride (pictured below R) was also recognised for the rapid uptake of the ANZCAP Program (PD Fri Breaking news). JG