18 November 2010

Does your pharmacy work with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Health Services? If so, you may be eligible to participate in the NPS Outreach Pharmacists for Remote Aboriginal Health Services program.

This ‘train the trainer’ program provides pharmacists with the training, support and resources to promote the safe and wise use of medicines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services and, through them, the broader community. It equips pharmacists with skills for working with indigenous communities and techniques for teaching health workers about safe medicines use.

The NPS program is offered as a two-day face-to-face workshop twice a year. Participants then work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services to determine visiting requirements and share their knowledge.

“Participating in NPS’s outreach pharmacist program is an excellent way to learn new skills and experience a completely different environment for short periods of time,” NPS clinical adviser, Danielle Stowasser said.

NPS covers the costs of eligible pharmacists to participate in the program, including travel to training workshops, background reading materials, workshop materials, teleconference support and other useful resources. In return, pharmacists provide educational sessions to staff at the health services they visit and provide feedback to NPS.

Participating in the workshops attracts CPD points while the education sessions count towards requirements of contractual agreements with the health services under the Section 100 pharmacy support allowance program.

“Many pharmacists find through building these relationships they are asked to assist with other health services, which can lead to further opportunities. Others say the program is invaluable in connecting them with others with similar interests, enabling them to share experiences and professional knowledge,” Dr Stowasser said.

The next workshop will be held in Darwin, 2-3 March 2011. Its focus is reducing lipids to improve heart health, which is part of a broader education program NPS will launch for health professionals in February.

According to the AIHW, in 2006 deaths and hospitalisations caused by cardiovascular disease for indigenous Australians were double the rates of non-indigenous Australians, and triple in South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

“Working with local health providers to help communities understand medicines use within their cultural context supports closing the gap in health literacy and health outcomes,” Dr Stowasser said.

For more information about the program or to register call Pippa Travers-Mason on 02 8217 8650.

ENDS

Independent, evidence-based and not-for-profit, NPS enables better decisions about medicines and medical tests.We are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.