A message from the CEO
Where is the year going? March passed slowly, April was a blur, and now suddenly we’re in August wishing we could hit the brakes and slow down.
We now have the second wave, which is particularly crippling our friends and colleagues in Victoria. Our hearts go out to everyone at this time. I am so conscious of the responsibility that we have, individually and collectively, to do what is necessary to keep us all safe.
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One thing this year has showed us is that people have the will power and the resilience to keep moving forward in the face of adversity.
In response to the environment of COVID-19 we have been able to set some more concrete objectives. Recently the APC Board refreshed our Strategic Plan, prioritising work for the next 12 – 24 months.
Our focus is on innovating. We're re-engineering our activities to deliver services during and after the pandemic.
Our careful and prudent financial stewardship in the past three years has allowed us to be in a secure position to ride this wave.
We have set our budget for the next 12 months based on a predicted loss of income from exams and assessments. This loss is due to border closures and continuing challenges with scheduling exams.
But our close relationship with the Pharmacy Board of Australia has allowed us to collaborate and find new ways of doing our job. Support from our other member organisations has been invaluable for us too.
The APC team has been agile, supportive and full of innovations. They've redesigned services that will serve us well for the future. This includes:
I am very proud of the team who adjusted to working from home so well, supported each other and have not skipped a beat. They have really lived our values during this time.
We could not have done our work without the support of the APC Board, our Examinations Committee and our Accreditation Committee. They are our champions.
Finally, I really want to give a huge shout out to our education providers. They have been working tirelessly, redesigning degree models and continuing to train the next generation of pharmacists through these difficult times.
We also send our support to our students and interns who are doing a great job despite all the upheavals. Thank you.
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We acknowledge the Ngunnawal People as the Traditional Custodians of the ACT - the land on which the Australian Pharmacy Council is located. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.
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APC welcomes election of Chair
and Deputy Chair
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We have elected a Chair and Deputy Chair to lead the strategic direction of our organisation over the coming years.
At the June Board meeting, Associate Professor Sue Kirsa was re-elected as Chair for a further 2 year term and Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson was elected as Deputy Chair.
Read full article.
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Improving Indigenous health strategy
On the back of signing the Statement of Intent in 2018, we have continued our reconciliation journey.
As a culturally competent organisation we’re committed to delivering a culturally safe workforce.
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Improving Indigenous Health Strategy - Expert Advisory Group
We met with our Improving Indigenous health Strategy (IIHS) Expert Advisory Group (EAG) in June to discuss innovative projects and work practices to ensure Indigenous requirements are being considered and included.
We welcomed a new member of the group, Aleena Williams, who is currently the Director of Immunisation and Communicable Diseases at Northern Territory Health in Darwin.
The IIHS EAG was introduced to our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group. The Working Group has been formed by volunteers from within the organisation. We will be seeking advice from the IIHS EAG on a regular basis through our journey to a Reflect RAP endorsed by Reconciliation Australian.
Reconciliation Action Plan
Every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that acknowledge the truth, and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.
Read our latest article about our:
- strategy for improving health outcomes for First Nations Peoples
- Reconciliation Action Plan journey
- National Reconciliation Week activity – Putuparri and the Rainmakers
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Exam Updates
Intern Written Exam confirmed for October
We’re delighted to announce the next Intern Written Exam dates. This October candidates will have the option to sit either:
- an event-based exam in a test centre, OR
- an online proctored exam delivered by OnVUE
We have shortened the exam. The exam now:
- is 2 hours, instead of 3 hours
- has a total of 75 questions
See all confirmed exam and registrations dates.
For further information about the October session and the online proctored exam see:
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CAOP exam remains fit for purpose
We have made changes to the Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists (CAOP) examination.
We often review our exams so that they remain fit for purpose.
Changes to the CAOP exam were implemented from the July 2020 session. The changes are:
- exam session is now 2 hours instead of 3 hours
- exam paper has 70 questions in total
- short-answer question has been removed
- mandatory sub-scores to pass the exam have been removed (candidates only need to achieve an overall pass mark)
Read more.
KAPS exam rescheduled for December
We have unfortunately had to reschedule the October Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KAPS) examination to December 2020.
We made this decision based on many factors outside of our control. Many test centres across the world are unavailable due to COVID-19 health restrictions.
Going ahead with the October session would exclude many candidates from the opportunity to sit the exam. So, to the fairness of all candidates, we could not offer the October session.
Read more.
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Accreditation Updates
New Committee positions
Our Accreditation Committee makes decisions on program accreditation under delegation from the APC Board. As part of our regular review, and to assist us to implement our new 2020 Accreditation Standards we have made some changes to the Committee through the By-Law.
We have added new positions to our Committee via the updated By-Law.
These positions include additional academic members and a member who identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or Māori.
We have been overwhelmed with the volume of interest shown in the Committee positions.
A Selection Committee has been appointed to make recommendations on appointments and we thank all applicants for their patience while we manage this process.
We look forward to welcoming the new members at our October meeting.
Virtual site visit success!
We recently ran our first 'virtual' site visit over Zoom after having to postpone the visit due to COVID-19.
The skilled organisation of our accreditation team meant that the APC auditors were able to run multiple interviews with all participants including the:
- program manager
- PSNZ CEO
- program staff
- interns, AND
- preceptors
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COVID-19 Updates
Extension of validity period for KAPS and CAOP skills assessment letters
We have extended the KAPS and CAOP validity period by an additional twelve months for candidates whose Skills Assessment letters were issued between 2017 and 2020.
For example, a Skills Assessment letter issued on 1 July 2020 will be valid until 1 July 2024. Please note this extension of validity period is for registration purposes only.
Candidates will not require an updated Skills Assessment letter to reflect the extension, as the Pharmacy Board of Australia has been notified.
Immunisation training programs
In April we temporarily waived the requirement for participants to hold a current first aid and CPR certificate to enrol in an immunisation training program. We did this to allow more pharmacists to receive immunisation training.
This does not mean pharmacists are authorised to provide immunisations without First Aid or CPR certificates. On completion of training, pharmacists must comply with the relevant State and Territory requirements with regard to First Aid or CPR training or other requirement for immunisation authorisation.
You can read changes to the accreditation vaccination standards during COVID-19 pandemic.
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What would you like to see in our Insights newsletters?
We want to keep you updated on our contribution to pharmacy education. But we want to make sure we're providing information that means something to you.
Take this 5 second survey to let us know how we can improve!
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Our interprofessional Colloquium will return
in May 2021!
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Colloquium 2021 will be held on Thursday 6 May 2021.
We unfortunately had to postpone this year's event, due to COVID-19.
Given the challenges we have faced during the pandemic our topics are all the more relevant – burn out, mental health and shifting mindsets – to name a few!
Same venue, same speakers, same program.
From virtual to reality: The journey to work-readiness
The sessions are thought provoking, challenging and captivating.
Our focus is on preparing students. We will explore:
- simulation education
- EPAs
- Interprofessional Education
- fulfilling potential
- teaching resilience
- investing time in new graduates
See the Colloquium 2021 website for more information. Look out for registration updates coming soon.
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LLLP Webinar
You'll see Zubin Austin at Colloquium 2021. But in the meantime join Zubin in a LLLP Webinar, Life Long Learning from Covid-19.
Zubin presents some rapid research he has undertaken recently, which examines community pharmacists’ responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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We have a new website!
Goodbye old, hello new! Our new web content is simple, tidy and easy to navigate.
We’ve improved functionality to ensure we give users a quality experience.
We're one of many key steps in the journey to becoming a pharmacist in Australia. So we want this step to be as easy as possible for candidates.
We’ve implemented a series of questions a user can answer to find the exact information they need.
We've also upgraded our media hub. Here you can find the latest news, podcasts and blogs. Eventually you'll even catch us on YouTube showcasing some 'how to' videos.
Our exam dates and centres page has had a makeover.
And learning about our accreditation processes has become so much easier (sort of).
Head on over and take a look.
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