Specialty support for hospital pharmacists

SHPA will be launching a new framework for its members on 1 June, covering 26 specialty practice streams from cardiology and compounding to rural practice and women’s health

The new model will enable members of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) in an area of practice with support from SHPA, and be encouraged and inspired by peers with shared interests, explains CEO Kristin Michaels.

It will comprise 26 streams, each offering three levels of member engagement and participation: area of interest, practice, and leadership.

This new model will provide members with greater access to the expertise of fellow members working in a field, opportunities to support peers as they develop their specialty expertise and enables members to be engaged in multiple specialities, says Ms Michaels.

“Pharmacists who do not specialise will also benefit from the new approach, which will enable members who work across many areas to be able to identify and tap into the expertise across SHPA,” she tells AJP.

There is no cost associated with joining a Specialty Practice Stream – members may join as many internet groups as they wish, and multiple practice groups when they renew their SHPA membership in June.

Ms Michaels says she anticipates strong interest in all Specialty Practice Streams following launch on Thursday 1 June.

“But due to larger incidence and disease burden, and complexity of pharmacy practice, we expect very strong interest in the cardiology, critical care, infectious diseases, oncology and haematology groups, as well as general medicine,” she says.

The full list of the 26 Specialty Practice Streams is as follows:

1. Cardiology
2. Clinical trials
3. Compounding services
4. Critical care
5. Dispensing and distribution
6. Education and educational visiting
7. Electronic medication management
8. Emergency medicine
9. General medicine
10. Geriatric medicine
11. Infectious diseases
12. Leadership and management
13. Medication safety
14. Medicines information
15. Mental health
16. Nephrology
17. Neurology
18. Oncology and haematology
19. Paediatrics and neonatology
20. Pain management
21. Palliative care
22. Primary care and transitions of care
23. Respiratory
24. Rural and remote practice
25. Surgery and perioperative medicine
26. Women’s and newborn health