Weathering the storm: How a pharmacy navigates a flood crisis
Tracks
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| Sunday, August 3, 2025 |
| 11:50 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Pyrmont Theatre |
Details
What happens when a pharmacy suddenly loses power—not for hours, but for weeks? When a severe storm damaged power infrastructure in Broken Hill, local pharmacies faced an unprecedented challenge: maintaining medicine supply, managing cold-chain medicines, and supporting a community in crisis. This session will explore first-hand experiences from pharmacists who worked through prolonged power outages, highlighting the key challenges, innovative solutions, and lessons in climate adaptation. Learn how to prepare for extreme disruptions, adapt pharmacy operations in an emergency, and ensure continuity of care when the lights go out.
Learning objectives
- Identify key operational challenges for pharmacies during prolonged power outages.
- Discuss the most pressing healthcare needs of the community in an extended crisis.
- Describe strategies for managing medicine supply, cold-chain medicines, and patient care during power failures.
Competency standards (2016): 2.1, 2.2, 3.6, 4.5
Speakers
Rachel Hetherington
Group Pharmacy Manager
TerryWhite Chemmart
Weathering the storm: How a pharmacy navigates a flood crisis
Biography
Rachel Hetherington has been working in the pharmaceutical industry since graduating with a Bachelor of Pharmacy from The University of Queensland in 2007. Rachel has held various roles at TerryWhite Chemists and TerryWhite Chemmart, where Rachel currently serves as the Group Pharmacy Manager. Rachel has experience in managing both the dispensary and front of shop operations, as well as stock and people management. Rachel's background includes transitioning a traditional local pharmacy to a modernized forward dispensing model pharmacy.
Bridget Totterman
Board Director
PSA
Weathering the storm: How a pharmacy navigates a flood crisis
Biography
Bridget is a registered pharmacist and community pharmacy owner with over 15 years’ experience in business management, operations, and frontline leadership. A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), she is a member of the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority and the PSA Queensland Branch Committee.
Named QLD Pharmacist of the Year in 2020 (Bowl of Hygiea), Bridget has held advisory roles with UTIPP-Q and QPIP and is credentialed to administer immunisations. She was appointed Clinical Fellow at QUT in 2018 and serves on the Course Advisory Group for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons). Bridget has also completed studies in directorship, management, marketing, negotiation, human resources, and holds an Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama.
