Intern pharmacists Angelica Lagoda (Queensland) and Deanna Mill (South Australia) are the joint national winners of the PSA MIMS Intern Pharmacist of the Year Award.
Presented at PSA’s flagship conference PSA18 last week, the award recognises intern pharmacists who demonstrate outstanding performance in their development as professional pharmacists, acting as role models among early-career pharmacists (ECPs).
Ms Lagoda completed her internship at LiveLife Pharmacy Keppel Bay Plaza (Yeppoon, central Queensland), while Ms Mill completed hers at the Flinders Medical Centre in Bedford Park (southern Adelaide).
During her intern year, Ms Lagoda became an integral part of the community and network of health professionals in Yeppoon. Mental illness was her central focus. She completed Mental Health First Aid training, became involved with her local council as a pharmacist representative to coordinate activities for Queensland Mental Health Week, and created a mental health service in her pharmacy.
She was a representative on the PSA Queensland ECP Working Group and presented at the Rural Pharmacy Special Interest Group Forum at PSA17 on students’ perspectives on working in non-metropolitan areas. Her preceptor described her as “a bright, rising star in pharmacy who is years ahead of herself in leadership ability, initiative and overall clinical competence”.
Ms Mill has contributed to PSA SA/NT ECP Working Group initiatives such as World Pharmacist Day and the PSA ECP White Paper. She has been described as an intuitive systems thinker, continually evaluating the environment and constraints she works within to identify opportunities to improve.
She has conducted multiple interdisciplinary practice-based research projects within the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network to improve patient outcomes. Her research has been recognised through awards at events such as PSA17, where she won Best Oral Presentation.
Robert Best, CEO and Executive Director of MIMS Australia, MIMS New Zealand, eHealthwise and Board Member of the Medical Software Industry Association said: “Being able to reward excellence in young innovative people is extremely exciting for the team at MIMS. This is the sixth presentation of the MIMS PSA Intern Pharmacist of the Year Award. We trust that this year’s winner will consider taking advantage of the opportunities this award provides.”
MIMS Australia is the leading sponsor of the award and contributed the major prize of $5,000 for the winners to put towards attending any pharmacy or educational conference approved by PSA.
