The 2019 National Student Business Plan Competition is now underway, testing the flair and entrepreneurship of students preparing for a career in community pharmacy.
The Pharmacy Guild’s 13th annual competition was launched during the NAPSA (National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association) Congress in Adelaide in January. Team captain of the 2018 winning entry, Ellen South from University of Technology Sydney, launched the competition by detailing her experience to her fellow students.
“I found the competition to be an invaluable experience which has set a good foundation for beginning my career as a community pharmacist,” she said. “The experience highlighted the required knowledge and skills I’ll need to run a viable pharmacy business, especially as pharmacy management is such a small part of our university studies.”
Guild National President George Tambassis also addressed the students at the Congress.
“I was really struck by how many pharmacy students were interested in the prospect of becoming owners of community pharmacies, and this competition is a terrific way for them to delve into the challenges and opportunities that come with owning a modern pharmacy business,” he said.
The competition is aimed at encouraging student teams to use their ideas, talents and energy to create innovative new business ideas in community pharmacy through the development of competitive business plans.
It is open to all students studying pharmacy in Australia and New Zealand, with $15,000 offered in cash prizes for the finalists (top three teams) and registration, flights and accommodation costs paid for them to attend the Guild’s 2019 Pharmacy Connect conference.
The competition is a Guild initiative sponsored by Sanofi Consumer Healthcare (principal sponsor) and EBOS (major sponsor) with continued sponsorship from foundation sponsors Gold Cross Products and Services and Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd.
