Digital by design

What drew you to education?

As a pharmacist, I often saw that challenges in healthcare weren’t just about theoretical or clinical knowledge – but about communication, teamwork and systems. That made me curious about how we prepare people for practice. I became interested in how learning experiences could better reflect the realities of healthcare. That curiosity led me to pursue a PhD and career in education. From there, education became less of a career choice and more of a way to create meaningful change. If we want to change healthcare, we need to change how we learn and work together.

Describe your career so far.

Early in my career, I worked across pharmacy practice and academia in Australia and Malaysia – strengthening my foundations in patient care and teaching while broadening my perspective on education. I then moved into roles at Monash University, where I became involved in pharmacy education and global initiatives such as the MyDispense simulation. From there, I moved into the EdTech sector, where I worked closely with universities to design and deliver online health and social care programs. That experience deepened my focus on flexible and digital learning and improving access to education at scale.

Most recently, at the University of Melbourne, I designed and delivered curriculum and simulation-based learning that brought students from different disciplines together – including medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, speech pathology and dentistry – to learn about, from and with each other.

Healthcare is a team sport. That work reinforced how important it is to move beyond siloed thinking and better equip future healthcare professionals to collaborate effectively.

What does your new role at PSA entail?

I oversee a broad portfolio spanning training programs, credentialing, CPD, and emerging areas such as prescribing and expanded scope. The PSA plays an important role in shaping both practice and policy, and education sits right at the centre of that.

It also felt like the right time to bring together my experience across practice, academia and EdTech, and apply it in a way that more directly supports the workforce.

Tell us more about your work involving simulation and digital learning.

Simulation allows learners to practise in a safe and supportive environment. With MyDispense, I had the opportunity to help students build confidence before working with real patients by making mistakes and learning from them.

For me, the most interesting part is using simulation to reflect the complexity of practice; not just through technical and clinical skills, but the communication, teamwork and decision-making aspects required. Digital learning is also increasingly important. For busy healthcare professionals, learning needs to be flexible, accessible, engaging and relevant.

What are the challenges of introducing new technologies or teaching models?

New approaches are often met with hesitation. I’ve learnt that it’s important to focus less on the technology itself and more on the purpose behind it. Innovation shouldn’t be introduced for its own sake. It needs to solve a real problem or improve outcomes. When people see that value, they’re much more open to trying something new.

Any advice for ECPs who want to shape the next generation of pharmacists?

Start where you are and get involved in small ways; teaching, mentoring, or simply sharing your experiences can have a real impact. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Some of the most meaningful contributions come from people who are still learning themselves. And stay connected to why you do what you do. Education is ultimately about people, and the more you can bring that perspective to your work, the more impact you’ll have. 

Day in the life of Vivienne Mak, Head of Education and Training, PSA, Melbourne, Victoria