L-R: Col (Rtd) Bill Kelly FPS, Dr Ross Holland AM FPS, Warwick Plunkett FPS and Peter Carroll FPS[/caption]
Karen Brown MPS[/caption]
Children after receiving their vaccinations at TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills, Brisbane. (Image: Karen Brown MPS)[/caption]
Certainly, no surprise; the same successful format initiated at the first Offshore Refresher Course in 1977 has been continued – education each day from 8.30 am to 1.00 pm, then cultural activities, tours and social events.
The Vietnam safari began in Hạ Long Bay, then to Hanoi, Hoi An and on to Ho Chi Min City. There were ‘Hs’ in abundance, although most of the locals still call Ho Chi Min City Saigon.
This year, there were 37 hours of lectures and workshops in six locations – including the post-conference tour to Cambodia. Our four principal speakers were all experienced and popular Offshore Refresher Course presenters: Bruce Annabel (business management), Dr Phillip Artemi (dermatology), Dr Terri Foran (women’s health) and Dr Sepehr Shakib (pharmacology).
And what social events! A highlight this year was the Vietnamese-themed dinner with apparently no time or expense spared by delegates to dress for the occasion. Of course, there was no shortage of tailor shops around town that could run up traditional men’s and women’s outfits in less than 24 hours.
This kind of learning sure can be fun, but there’s plenty of hard work for the delegates as well. Many continue to deliberate long after the education sessions are over for the day – just to ensure they get correct answers to the questions in the ‘Jack Thomas Quiz’. The winner’s name engraved on the perpetual trophy is an incentive; and so is maximising your CPD points for the year.
This year saw one of the closest Jack Thomas Quiz contests in Refresher Course history. Of
the over 150 responses to the 75-question quiz, six delegates finished with a score of 97% – and placegetters were separated only by assessment of the written case study. First prize
went to Johanna Bou-Samra, who works as Indigenous Outcomes Pharmacist with
Queensland Health. Meredith Bell and former Jack Thomas Quiz winner Louise Braddock were joint runners-up.
Skin has been a big thing at the conference this year – well, it is our biggest organ. Dermatology is a major part of our extended practice, so expertise in this area will help us take advantage of new opportunities. However, don’t despair if you missed out on the Offshore Refresher Course this year. Dr Phillip Artemi will also have a cameo role as part of the speaking faculty next year.
Planning to attend the next Offshore Refresher Course? You should, and you should act now.
Next year we celebrate the 50th Offshore Refresher Course in a very special way. The main conference in Japan will be on the luxury cruise ship Crystal Symphony. Bookings are filling fast, and we can’t take more than our cabin allocation will allow.
So, it’s sayonara Saigon; Tokyo here we come.
Find out more about what’s instore for 50th Offshore Refresher Course in Tokyo 
Five funding recommendations to improve medicine safety
Increased funding for pharmacists in aged care and rural and remote communities would save lives and improve health outcomes, PSA has argued in its...
Pharmacist Insight – Older and Wiser
Dr Renly Lim is a Research Fellow at the University of South Australia working to expand the role of pharmacists in residential care facilities,...
Mental health medicines and drug-related deaths
A recent study of coronial inquest findings revealed medicines relating to mental health conditions (antidepressants, antipsychotics) were most commonly implicated in non-opioid and non-benzodiazepine...
Down-scheduling of oral antibiotics could improve patient access, study finds
Immediate patient access to antibiotics through pharmacies has been recognised as a factor in addressing antibiotic misuse in the community, as antimicrobial resistance increases.
A...
Medicines in breast milk
Pharmacists can provide advice to breastfeeding women on using medicines that are compatible with breastfeeding and on how to minimise infant exposure to medicines...
PSA working to increase pharmacist remuneration
PSA has this week lodged two major submissions addressing pharmacist remuneration.
The first is our response to the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Taskforce, where...
