New scholarship set to strengthen access to culturally appropriate pharmacy services

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and Symbion have announced a new student scholarship initiative, which aims to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacy students and to strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce through education and career support. 

The initiative is a welcome move in strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacy workforce through education and career support, says President of the Pharmacy Guild Professor Trent Twomey.

“This is a very important and significant collaboration between the Guild and Symbion, and one which will have far-reaching and lasting positive impacts,” Professor Twomey said.

Strengthening access to culturally appropriate pharmacy services 

Commenting on the new student scholarship initiative Symbion CEO Brett Barons says it will help strengthen access to culturally appropriate pharmacy services.

“It will help to build a strengthened Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacy workforce which will result in an increased provision of, and access to, improved culturally appropriate pharmacy services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients,” he said.

About the scholarship

As part of the initiative, scholarship recipients will receive:

• Four pharmacy student scholarship recipients will receive an annual entitlement of $10,000 and will be eligible for conference registration fees, travel and accommodation to a pharmacy conference for one year.
• Two pharmacy assistant scholarships will receive an annual entitlement of $5000 and payment of conference registration fees, travel and accommodation to the Pharmacy Assistant Conference for one year.

To help strengthen Symbion and TerryWhite Chemmart’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples workforce, Symbion will provide each program participant with:

• Options and support for placement for each Program Participant during their degree/study;
• Opportunities for placement during the pharmacy student’s intern year (or similar) at a TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacy;
• Employment opportunities during holiday periods.

Each Program Participant will receive a mentor and that mentor will be paid by Symbion $750 for each year of support.