The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has launched a new education module aimed at strengthening culturally safe and responsive care and improving health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in community pharmacy settings.
The new module, Deadly pharmacists: Providing culturally safe and responsive care in community pharmacy, expands PSA’s existing ‘Deadly pharmacists’ learning suite and has been funded by the Australian Government under the Medical Research Future Fund and the NSW Ministry of Health.
Co-designed with the National Community Controlled Health Organisation, the release of the new module follows the updates to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law in 2022, which underscores the responsibility of health professionals to provide culturally safe services for First Nations Australians.
PSA National President, Professor Mark Naunton MPS, says the new module represents an important step in supporting pharmacists to meet their professional responsibilities.
“We know pharmacists remain among the most accessible healthcare professionals and continue to play a vital role in strengthening health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” he says.
“This new module will help pharmacists to reflect on their practice, gain an understanding of the impacts of culture and history on health and wellbeing, and build meaningful relationships with their First Nations patients and communities.
“In doing so, pharmacists can help create environments where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel respected, understood, and receive healthcare that they consider to be culturally safe.”
