The Guild Dispensary

In 2020, we had some fantastic guests on the show who have shared some amazing stories, experiences, insights, and advice with us and I know we are all truly grateful that they found some time in their busy schedules to come on the show.

With each show kicking off with a short snippet from a guest, an interesting part of the conversation to look forward to, we thought that it would be a good idea to go back through the episodes and pull out the question and full answer for you and pull them together into some more best of episodes.

As such, you can expect two shows full of short and sharp advice from each of our guests, as we look back at 26 shows, those being episodes 38 to 63, and we will do that in two lots of 13. 

In this episode, we cover episodes 38 to 50.

Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Community Pharmacy moves towards 2025, digital health remains a key priority for the industry. One of the more significant developments in this area is My Health Record. 

My Health Record lets patients control their health information, securely and safely. This means important health information is available when and where it’s needed, including in an emergency. The platform is helping healthcare professionals to reduce administrative burden and avoid duplication of services. Most importantly, it’s enabling community pharmacies to deliver improved patient outcomes through better medication management and safety. 

Our guests today, Jenny Snegovaya and April Burnett, have a wealth of experience in community pharmacy, public health, and digital health technology, and take us through some of the updates, training, and resources available on My Health Record.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warren Buffet famously remarked “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago” – a quote that perfectly captures the concept of superannuation.

One of the most significant investments that you can make for your future, superannuation is important to understand whether you are at the beginning of your career or an established business owner.   

As this is a guest from a financial institution, and it is a heavily regulated industry, there is a disclaimer before we begin the show.

This podcast episode contains general advice only and doesn't take into account what you currently have, want, and need for your personal circumstances.

Melinda Di Vita, Head of Market Growth at GuildSuper, joins us today to recap the 2020 year in superannuation, discuss some of the recent industry reforms and give us an insight into what’s on the horizon for GuildSuper.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nutrition is an integral part of overall health and one that is often neglected. It is even more important as people get older or experience health challenges.

Pharmacists can play an important role in supporting their patients with their nutritional needs, as well as noticing when things aren’t quite right and referring them on to help.

Abbott Australasia has sponsored today's podcast to help pharmacists learn more about how nutrition influences health.

On this episode, Julie Meek talks about the role of nutrition in supporting health throughout life. Julie is a thought leader and keynote speaker in peak performance.  She is a coach, qualified Sports Dietitian and degree qualified in Health Promotion.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Guild Corporate Vaccination Program is a flexible, cost-effective solution that enables a range of employers to allow their staff to be vaccinated against influenza at a time, date, and place most convenient to them via the Guild member network.

This year the program helped 125 corporate clients and over 700 Guild member community pharmacies to provide an effective and efficient vaccination service to patients across Australia. 2020 has seen the program grow rapidly with over 27,000 vaccinations provided.

The increased demand from patients to receive their flu vaccinations this year bought a renewed energy to the program and the industry. Pharmacies enjoyed increased foot traffic and the program continued to raise awareness of what community pharmacies can offer not only to patients but to commercial sectors as well.

In this episode, we chat with Helen Blake, from Terry White Chemmart Lindisfarne and Rosny Park, in Tasmania, who provided a combined 265 vaccination services through the Guild Corporate Vaccination program, across 14 organisations, during the 2020 flu season.

We also welcome Sam Johnson, from Vantage Group, an organisation that operates significant hospitality and retail assets across Tasmania. Vantage Group has over 420 employees and is part of Federal Group which has over 2000 employees and who received vaccinations from 43 different pharmacies between April and July.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no question that digital technology is rapidly changing the business landscape. We’re seeing a massive increase in emerging digital technologies within the health sector, and there are exciting opportunities for enhanced patient care and professional collaboration through digital platforms. But as we move toward a digital environment, it’s vital for community pharmacy to be aware of cybersecurity.

What exactly is cybersecurity and why is it so important? As we move more of our services to the cloud and are increasingly dependent on the internet, the obligation to protect health data is critical. Unfortunately, that data has value to cybercriminals who are every second of every day looking for vulnerabilities to exploit.

Here today to discuss cybersecurity risks and issues, and some of the actions you can take to protect your business, are Andrew McManus from Fred IT Group, and Adam Smallhorn from Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital enablement for community pharmacy is all about integrating the knowledge and expertise of pharmacy into the wider health network.

Emerging technologies like electronic prescribing and TeleHealth represent an amazing opportunity for pharmacies to enhance patient service and professional collaboration. As our society continues to ‘digitize’, community pharmacy must keep up to continue offering personalised health solutions and move beyond medicine supply.

But where is the starting point for going digital? How can businesses begin laying the foundations that will help them adopt these technologies?

Today, we’re joined by Rob Vernon, CEO of TasmaNet, to discuss some of the strategies community pharmacies can use to prepare for the digital age. Rob discusses some of the emerging technologies in the health sector and what it takes to implement them at a store level.  

This episode is brought to you with the help of the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Small Business Digital Champions project. Further information can be found at https://www.business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs/Digital-Champions

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As community pharmacy continues to evolve, it is important to recognise the need for a leadership that reflects and champions the diversity and inclusivity of our profession.

It’s well documented that by achieving diversity in the workplace, businesses and professional organisations stand to benefit greatly on many levels.

Workplace diversity is a key factor in breaking down the limiting factors of inequality that prevent employees from achieving their full professional potential. Whilst inequality in community pharmacy has lessened over time, there is still more we can do at both the service and leadership levels, representing an exciting time for the industry.

Our guests for this episode discuss their experiences and perspectives on diversity in community pharmacy, and unpack some of the key issues that permeate this area. Alicia Martin, a Canberra based pharmacist, who recently led a study through University of Canberra on female representation on professional committees, brings a fascinating perspective on historical and future prospects for diversity in pharmacy leadership.

We also welcome two Pharmacy Guild National Councillors, Helen O’Byrne and Grace Chong, who provide insight into the barriers facing women in leadership positions and discuss their own experiences in making the transition to leadership roles.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear about experiences and perspectives on diversity in community pharmacy, and unpack some of the key issues that permeate this area.

The Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP) is the quality assurance program in place for community pharmacies around Australia. Operating for more than 20 years, the QCPP ensures community pharmacies provide quality, safe, and consistent professional services and consumer care.

In October 2020, QCPP is introducing Quality Care 2020, the new accreditation framework for quality in community pharmacy. Quality Care 2020 is a contemporary program bringing together best-practice business operations with excellence in safe and quality care.

To learn more about the new program, in this episode, we are joined by Chloe Hennessy, QCPP National Manager, and Simon Blacker, Community Pharmacist and Chair of the QCPP Working Group, and a pharmacist who, back in 1999, was part of one of the first 200 pharmacies to be accredited under QCPP.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.