Conversations around the future direction of the pharmacy profession need to include the voices of young pharmacists, Ayomide Ogundipe the PSA Early Career Pharmacist board director, says.

In this podcast, Carlene McMaugh speaks to Ogundipe about early career pharmacists’ (ECPs) views on the issues impacting the profession and its future.

Among the topics covered are the need for ECPs’s “perspectives, ideas and opinions” to be taken into consideration when it comes to discussions about the expansion of the profession’s scope of practice (11 min: 51) and the need for the sector to remain “viable and sustainable” (3:12).

(3:38) Making sure that the value and services pharmacists provide to consumers is being met with meaningful reinvestment and remuneration.

(4:36) ECPs share the concerns of more experienced peers around the impacts of the government’s 60-day dispensing policy.

(6:14) Appetite for ownership remains strong among young pharmacists.

(8:39) Despite the ongoing uncertainty in the community pharmacy sector “there are a lot of exciting things to look forward to” for ECPs, as the profession moves towards working to it full scope of practice.

(12:44) Peer-to-peer support and mentoring is a key for supporting newly registered pharmacists.

(14:45) Technology is providing ECPs with opportunities to supplement and augment the way pharmacists deliver health services.

(17:34) ECPs are interested in how they can upskill and develop into new areas of practice and more clinical roles.

(18:42) Out of discussions for the Eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement, “there needs to be a sense of certainty that the work that is done in a community pharmacy or in primary care is going to be supported through remuneration”.

(22:32) ECPs need to engage in the profession and participate in discussions to ensure that their voices are heard.

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