A FOURTH-year Queensland University of Technology B. Pharm (Honours) student has been named Australia’s Pharmacy Student of the Year by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA). Samantha Montgomery (pictured) was awarded the title at a national final in Sydney, recently. The annual awards showcased the skills of outstanding pharmacy students who were assessed in a live session on their clinical knowledge and communication skills to identify the most appropriate course of treatment and advice, reported the PSA. Finalists represented seven universities, as well as a wildcard entry selected from the Jan 2023 National Australian Pharmacy Students Association Congress. As the overall winner, Montgomery received a $3,000 cash prize to support her studies and pharmacy career. “I was after something a little bit different for a career in helping people out, so here I am in pharmacy,’’ Montgomery said. “I have the goal to be as diverse as I can be in the profession and give everything a go. “I’d like to locum and travel in Australia, become a consultant pharmacist and work in many settings to keep changing it up. “That is the beauty about pharmacy, there is an endless list of things you can do.’’ Samantha said pharmacists filled a vital place within integrative healthcare.

“Patients are finding it more and more difficult to access healthcare, and they trust their community pharmacist,’’ she said. “We can be the bridge of communication between hospitals and GPs, the hotline for patient concerns, the barrier to an adverse medicine event through intervention and problem solving, especially in rural areas. “I do believe the scope of practise within pharmacy will expand in the future, and it is an exciting time to enter the profession.’’ QUT A/Prof Andrew Hale, from the School of Clinical Sciences, said, “to win the Queensland heat was quite some achievement but then to go on and win the national competition, up against the best students from all the other states and territories, is amazing”. PSA President Dr Fei Sim said, “PSA is committed to making pharmacy an attractive career path and celebrating success regardless of where you are in your career”.