The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) has released a video which outlines how regional, rural and remote community pharmacies provide excellence in healthcare. It also emphasizes the significant contributions of the community pharmacies in these regions.

Pharmacists from Bundaberg, Bathurst, Maryborough, Gympie and Broken Hill have responded to the needs of their communities, and have played an integral role in transforming their rural community pharmacies. Initiatives include:

1. Providing information and raising awareness of diseases and talking to people about health by exhibiting in the health precinct at the 3 day Australian National Field Days event.
2. Identifying health care gaps in the community – e.g. training a pharmacy nurse to provide basic foot care (in a private room) to elderly people in an area where there was a shortage of podiatrists, or providing care for patients with sleep apnea when the next closest provider is over 100km away
3. Connecting with local health services
4. Doing home medicines reviews where they might be required – under a tree in a patient’s front yard on a 42 degree day!

Click here for more news on what’s happening in pharmacy in Australia.