Dr Danny Tsai, the inaugural Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist at the Alice Springs Hospital, has received the SA/NT Pharmacist of the Year Award at the Annual Celebration of Excellence in Pharmacy event hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).
SA Minister for Industry and Skills David Pisoni presented the award to Dr Tsai at Veale Gardens in Adelaide recently.
Adelaide pharmacist Veronika Seda won the SA/NT Early Career Pharmacist Development Award, while pharmacy interns Karissa Searle and Wala Hamid Haj Ali were presented with the 2017 PSA Gold Medal and the 2018 Gold Medal, respectively.
PSA SA/NT President Robyn Johns congratulated Dr Tsai and commended him on his significant contribution to the safe and effective use of medicines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for improving clinical pharmacy services in Central Australia.
Dr Tsai’s current research interests include investigating the demographics and bacteriology of severe community acquired pneumonia in central Australia.
“Not only is Danny a terrific mentor for early career pharmacists, he also supports student placements in Alice Springs and contributes to ongoing education for health professionals working in remote areas,” Ms Johns said.
Ms Seda is the Chair of the SA/NT Early Career Working Group and a project pharmacist with the Adelaide Respiratory Health Project through Asthma Australia and the Lung Foundation.
PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman presented Ms Seda with the Early Career Pharmacist Development Award for raising practice standards and providing a model of practice for her fellow early career pharmacists.
Ms Seda has a passion for pharmacist communication and is currently a PhD candidate working on a sustainable model for professional services in community pharmacy, Dr Freeman said.
Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom presented Ms Searle and Ms Ali with the PSA Gold Medal for achieving the highest-grade point average in the Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of South Australia.
Ms Searle is an intern at Terry White Chemmart Golden Grove in Adelaide and recently began work at Angaston Pharmacy in the Barossa Valley. Ms Ali is currently completing her internship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
PSA also named pharmacists Dr Jacinta Johnson and Dr Rose Allin Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society for achieving the highest level of advanced practice credentialling.
Emeritus Professor Andrew Gilbert was awarded PSA Life Fellowship and Heather Simpson Life Membership for their significant contributions to the profession.
Professor Gilbert’s research and consultancy work in medicines policy and health practice change are internationally respected.
Mrs Simpson worked at the Kings Park Pharmacy in Adelaide for 30 years, has locumed in rural SA and western Victoria and dedicates a day a week towards home medicines reviews.
