5 August 2010

Pharmacists providing outreach services to Aboriginal health services are invited to enrol in the NPS Outreach pharmacists for remote aboriginal health services program and attend workshops over the next month on chronic pain management.

The outreach program aims to improve the health of remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through providing quality use of medicines education and support to pharmacists who work with staff at local Aboriginal health services.

“Participating in the outreach pharmacist program will give you the skills to deliver medicines-use education on chronic pain management while building professional networks,” NPS CEO Dr Lynn Weekes said.

“Many outreach pharmacists say the program is invaluable in connecting them with others doing similar work, enabling them to share experiences and professional knowledge. NPS also provides ongoing support to those in the program which can help address feelings of being isolated professionally.”

Each year NPS offers two structured training workshops on different topics. The next topic is chronic pain which focuses on the complexities of pain and tools to assess pain in an individual as well as pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies used in pain management. You will learn effective facilitation skills to provide educational sessions on pain management to staff within Aboriginal health services and develop cultural competency in working with these services.

The workshops offer time out from the normal working routine and count towards quality use of medicines and educational requirements of contractual agreements with Aboriginal health services under the Section 100 pharmacy support allowance.

NPS will cover the costs of eligible pharmacists to participate in the program such as travel to training workshops, background reading materials, workshop materials, teleconference support and other useful resources.

The next training workshops will be held in:

• Alice Springs on 3–4 August 2010
• Broome on 10–11 August 2010

If you are interested in participating in the Outreach pharmacists for remote Aboriginal health services program contact Pippa Travers-Mason at NPS on (02) 8217 8650 or 0402 305 306.