From the President: NOW is the time!

Opinion
By
Dr Fei Sim FPS BPharm (Hons) PhD FHEA GAICD FPS
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PSA
PSA National President Dr Fei Sim FPS

Nominate to help PSA support, promote and fight for pharmacists.

Our people are the engine that drives the work we do at PSA. Our Board Members, State Presidents and Branch Committees play a vital role in supporting pharmacists, shaping the profession, and promoting PSA’s advocacy priorities.

The 2023 PSA General Elections are coming up soon, and we are on the lookout for motivated pharmacists from all practice settings to put their hand up to lead the profession. PSA only exists because of pharmacists, and PSA is here to serve pharmacists.

Pharmacist practice is constantly evolving to better serve our patients, but never more so than it is now. There are exciting things ahead for our profession, but also significant challenges that we must overcome. More than ever before, pharmacists are at the forefront of primary health care, playing a critical role in our communities. PSA is YOUR vehicle to have a voice.

When I joined the WA Branch Committee in 2016, the driver was as simple as I wanted pharmacists’ voices to be heard. I felt pharmacists could do so much more, and our profession had been stagnant for a long time. I wanted to be on the front foot contributing back to our own profession. Reflecting on this journey of the past 7 years, our profession is at a very different position now, but we are not there yet. So much more can – and needs to – be done.

The pandemic has given pharmacists the platform, but we must leverage the current health landscape to make a positive contribution to our profession and the health system.

I have always believed that our strength is in our diversity of leaders. PSA has been the catalyst for many leadership journeys, including my own. This is your opportunity to advocate for pharmacists and have a tangible impact on the future of our profession. Our profession needs positive representation through a Society that represents us – pharmacists.

As a member of the pharmacy profession, a strong PSA representing pharmacists is OUR responsibility.

Now is the time to contribute. Nominations for all State and Territory Branch Committees open in March, and I encourage all PSA members – whether you are an ECP or an experienced pharmacist – to nominate for positions.

DR FEI SIM FPS [she/her] BPharm (Hons) PhD FHEA GAICD FPS Follow Dr Fei Sim FPS on Twitter at @drfeisim and connect on LinkedIn via Dr Fei Sim