Home - Australian Pharmacist

A voice for Australia and New Zealand at IPSF 2025

Aaliah Nelson - 9 September 2025

People

Australia and New Zealand had a voice at the IPSF World Congress, influencing discussions on education, practice and global health.

Community pharmacy effective in reducing prescribing waste

Sharon Smith - 30 August 2018

Industry

An English project looking to reduce medicines wastage across community pharmacy, care homes and general practice has produced savings representing a return of nearly...

COVID-19 death toll passes 2000

Ruth Cooper - 19 February 2020

A scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow) – also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19 –isolated from a patient in the US, emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in a lab. Image: NIAID-RML

Industry

The federal government will provide $2 million to help develop a vaccine for COVID-19, as the death toll from the novel coronavirus continues to climb.

Myths around asthma remain strong, new research finds

James Chalmers - 4 September 2018

Clinical

Fewer than half of all Australians can correctly identify asthma as a chronic disease that doesn’t go away, according to new Asthma Australia research.¹ In...

Choosing wisely to achieve medicine safety

Ruth Cooper - 5 June 2019

Industry

The quality use of medicines is vital to ensure a sustainable healthcare system and better health outcomes for consumers. This was the dominant theme at...

Pharmacists vital leaders in Australian community during COVID-19 crisis

Dr Chris Freeman FPS - 14 April 2020

Industry

After a summer of bushfires, the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China (later named COVID-19) was reported in January.

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8.00 am	Set up and check in IVF work fluctuates – some days it’s minimal, other days it’s constant. I check what’s booked/expected, confirm any urgent needs, and make sure there’s space for IVF stock.
9.00 am	Ordering and supply planning Weekly ordering is done on Monday mornings and reviewed again on Wednesday because we can’t reliably order later in the week. This helps to protect continuity.
10:30 am	Dispensary coordination My dispensary manager leads ordering of IVF medicines, support materials and consumables. She also prepares syringe/needle packs for medicines that require separate consumable supply, so patients receive everything together.
12.00 pm	Clinic liaison Phone or email contact with IVF nurses occurs most days to clarify prescriptions, confirm timing and align supply with treatment cycles.
2.00 pm	Prescription collection Our courier collects prescriptions from fertility clinics weekly, as not all clinics use e-scripts. These are processed promptly to avoid delays that could affect treatment timing.
3.30 pm	Patient support IVF supply often includes practical support: ensuring patients have what they need for transport and storage, and that any supporting materials and consumables are ready alongside the medicines.
6.00 pm	Engagement and training Some evenings may include a Fertility Nurses of Australia meeting, or delivering training sessions for fertility clinics for IVF clinicians and nurses.
8.00 pm	Urgent supply Occasionally I’ll get an out-of-hours call from an IVF clinician to arrange emergency medicines supply, requiring rapid coordination to keep treatment on track.

8.00 am	Set up and check in IVF work fluctuates – some days it’s minimal, other days it’s constant. I check what’s booked/expected, confirm any urgent needs, and make sure there’s space for IVF stock.
9.00 am	Ordering and supply planning Weekly ordering is done on Monday mornings and reviewed again on Wednesday because we can’t reliably order later in the week. This helps to protect continuity.
10:30 am	Dispensary coordination My dispensary manager leads ordering of IVF medicines, support materials and consumables. She also prepares syringe/needle packs for medicines that require separate consumable supply, so patients receive everything together.
12.00 pm	Clinic liaison Phone or email contact with IVF nurses occurs most days to clarify prescriptions, confirm timing and align supply with treatment cycles.
2.00 pm	Prescription collection Our courier collects prescriptions from fertility clinics weekly, as not all clinics use e-scripts. These are processed promptly to avoid delays that could affect treatment timing.
3.30 pm	Patient support IVF supply often includes practical support: ensuring patients have what they need for transport and storage, and that any supporting materials and consumables are ready alongside the medicines.
6.00 pm	Engagement and training Some evenings may include a Fertility Nurses of Australia meeting, or delivering training sessions for fertility clinics for IVF clinicians and nurses.
8.00 pm	Urgent supply Occasionally I’ll get an out-of-hours call from an IVF clinician to arrange emergency medicines supply, requiring rapid coordination to keep treatment on track.

8.00 am	Set up and check in IVF work fluctuates – some days it’s minimal, other days it’s constant. I check what’s booked/expected, confirm any urgent needs, and make sure there’s space for IVF stock.
9.00 am	Ordering and supply planning Weekly ordering is done on Monday mornings and reviewed again on Wednesday because we can’t reliably order later in the week. This helps to protect continuity.
10:30 am	Dispensary coordination My dispensary manager leads ordering of IVF medicines, support materials and consumables. She also prepares syringe/needle packs for medicines that require separate consumable supply, so patients receive everything together.
12.00 pm	Clinic liaison Phone or email contact with IVF nurses occurs most days to clarify prescriptions, confirm timing and align supply with treatment cycles.
2.00 pm	Prescription collection Our courier collects prescriptions from fertility clinics weekly, as not all clinics use e-scripts. These are processed promptly to avoid delays that could affect treatment timing.
3.30 pm	Patient support IVF supply often includes practical support: ensuring patients have what they need for transport and storage, and that any supporting materials and consumables are ready alongside the medicines.
6.00 pm	Engagement and training Some evenings may include a Fertility Nurses of Australia meeting, or delivering training sessions for fertility clinics for IVF clinicians and nurses.
8.00 pm	Urgent supply Occasionally I’ll get an out-of-hours call from an IVF clinician to arrange emergency medicines supply, requiring rapid coordination to keep treatment on track.

8.00 am	Set up and check in IVF work fluctuates – some days it’s minimal, other days it’s constant. I check what’s booked/expected, confirm any urgent needs, and make sure there’s space for IVF stock.
9.00 am	Ordering and supply planning Weekly ordering is done on Monday mornings and reviewed again on Wednesday because we can’t reliably order later in the week. This helps to protect continuity.
10:30 am	Dispensary coordination My dispensary manager leads ordering of IVF medicines, support materials and consumables. She also prepares syringe/needle packs for medicines that require separate consumable supply, so patients receive everything together.
12.00 pm	Clinic liaison Phone or email contact with IVF nurses occurs most days to clarify prescriptions, confirm timing and align supply with treatment cycles.
2.00 pm	Prescription collection Our courier collects prescriptions from fertility clinics weekly, as not all clinics use e-scripts. These are processed promptly to avoid delays that could affect treatment timing.
3.30 pm	Patient support IVF supply often includes practical support: ensuring patients have what they need for transport and storage, and that any supporting materials and consumables are ready alongside the medicines.
6.00 pm	Engagement and training Some evenings may include a Fertility Nurses of Australia meeting, or delivering training sessions for fertility clinics for IVF clinicians and nurses.
8.00 pm	Urgent supply Occasionally I’ll get an out-of-hours call from an IVF clinician to arrange emergency medicines supply, requiring rapid coordination to keep treatment on track.

Health comes first

Timing is everything

Approaching chronic disease management

Self-adjusted dosing

Starting the conversation

Knowing what invalidates a fast

1. Intranasal influenza vaccine introduced

2. The end of quadrivalent vaccines

3. Expanded registration of Fluad

4. Timing and urgency after a severe season

5. Vaccination rates remain dangerously low

More information for pharmacists

Pharmacist of the Year – Bente Hart MPS

Lifetime Achievement Award – Kate Gray MPS

Early Career Pharmacist of the Year – Mitchell Budden MPS

Intern of the Year – Karina Angelucci MPS

Knocking on doors

A workforce running on goodwill

The cost of saying no

Let pharmacists do what they are trained to do

Reform that matches need with value

How did you specialise in assisted reproductive therapy?

What does the role entail?

How do you help patients navigate their medicines regimen?

How do you manage medicines storage, cold-chain and supply?

How do you collaborate with fertility clinics, prescribers and nurses?

What advice do you have for ECPs keen on specialising in this area?

A Day in the life of Morag Horton, community pharmacy owner, Adelaide, South Australia

Health comes first

Timing is everything

Approaching chronic disease management

Self-adjusted dosing

Starting the conversation

Knowing what invalidates a fast

1. Intranasal influenza vaccine introduced

2. The end of quadrivalent vaccines

3. Expanded registration of Fluad

4. Timing and urgency after a severe season

5. Vaccination rates remain dangerously low

More information for pharmacists

Pharmacist of the Year – Bente Hart MPS

Lifetime Achievement Award – Kate Gray MPS

Early Career Pharmacist of the Year – Mitchell Budden MPS

Intern of the Year – Karina Angelucci MPS

Knocking on doors

A workforce running on goodwill

The cost of saying no

Let pharmacists do what they are trained to do

Reform that matches need with value

How did you specialise in assisted reproductive therapy?

What does the role entail?

How do you help patients navigate their medicines regimen?

How do you manage medicines storage, cold-chain and supply?

How do you collaborate with fertility clinics, prescribers and nurses?

What advice do you have for ECPs keen on specialising in this area?

A Day in the life of Morag Horton, community pharmacy owner, Adelaide, South Australia

Health comes first

Timing is everything

Approaching chronic disease management

Self-adjusted dosing

Starting the conversation

Knowing what invalidates a fast

1. Intranasal influenza vaccine introduced

2. The end of quadrivalent vaccines

3. Expanded registration of Fluad

4. Timing and urgency after a severe season

5. Vaccination rates remain dangerously low

More information for pharmacists

Pharmacist of the Year – Bente Hart MPS

Lifetime Achievement Award – Kate Gray MPS

Early Career Pharmacist of the Year – Mitchell Budden MPS

Intern of the Year – Karina Angelucci MPS

Knocking on doors

A workforce running on goodwill

The cost of saying no

Let pharmacists do what they are trained to do

Reform that matches need with value

How did you specialise in assisted reproductive therapy?

What does the role entail?

How do you help patients navigate their medicines regimen?