‘Paving the way’: Peter Fowler wins prestigious Fred J Boyd award

Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) today awarded its highest honour to Peter Fowler FANZCAP (CritCare), recognising decades of commitment to the organisation and profession, generously sharing ‘limitless’ clinical knowledge to improve patient care.
Presenting the award at this morning’s opening plenary at Medicines Management 2024 (MM2024) in Adelaide, AdPha President Tom Simpson FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt) says Peter personifies clinical excellence, as well as calm and steady leadership.
‘Peter has provided critical care education to many of Australia’s ICU pharmacists and intensivists through on-the-job education and presentation at innumerable seminars, symposia and conferences as an invited and contributing speaker.
‘At a time when clinical pharmacists had to fight for their right to be on the ward, Peter’s
limitless knowledge and gift for complex therapeutics ensured the respect of the multidisciplinary teams with whom he worked – leading the way for hundreds of pharmacists to follow.
‘Many members will recall the importance of Peter’s leadership during the turbulent years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the important role the Society played both for patients, through advocacy for nationally consistent approaches to medicines, and for pharmacists, urgently pivoting to online education, leadership support and ICU training.
‘Beneath this calm exterior, Peter was leading the organisation at a time of rapid progress, which paved the way for the evolution to the inclusivity of Advanced Pharmacy Australia.
‘This followed the embedding of residency programs, expansion of Specialty Practice,
and the first stage of investment into the new digital platforms that underpin AdPha Communities, member offerings and the Australian and New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy (ANZCAP), which spans all initiatives. The impact of these for our profession cannot be underestimated.’
In his letter of commendation, Duncan McKenzie FANZCAP (InfDis, Lead&Mgmt), Program Director – Pharmacy Projects, Tasmanian Department of Health, said Peter’s credentials speak for themselves.
‘Peter has been a trailblazer in the area of e-Health in Australia, having designed and published a popular medication profile generator (MedProfs), as well as pharmacokinetic calculators for renal function, heparin, vancomycin and aminoglycoside dosing, for use in improving safe the delivery of care to Tasmanians.
‘Peter also developed medication infusion guidelines that became the long-held “Fowler bible” in his local jurisdiction long before AdPha’s Australian Injectable Drug Handbook became ubiquitous.
In recommending Peter for the honour, former mentee Dr Lisa Pont FANZCAP (Edu., GeriMed) noted his fundamental belief in empowering and upskilling the next generation of health professionals.
‘Peter has always invested considerable time to developing those working within his department; he embodies the role of a pharmacist as part of the multidisciplinary health care team, and encourages the development of the critical thinking skills that are essential in clinical pharmacy.’
Dr Scott Parkes, former Director of Intensive Care at Launceston General Hospital said Peter excels as a pharmacist, clinician, teacher and mentor.
‘Peter has the knowledge base, intellect and commitment to do so, but it is his core values and fundamental decency that define him. He is driven by a passion for patient care and a desire to do the best for all.
‘It is the combination of talent, diligence and the best of human qualities that has made him a mentor and role model for the pharmacists and doctors who have had the
fortune to work with him.’