The Commonwealth Government has provided funding for on-site pharmacists in government-funded residential aged care facilities (RACFs), creating viability for a new career path for pharmacists. While the requirements to access this funding are still being developed, the integral role that pharmacists play in aged care has been well established for many years.

In this session, we will explore the unique and fundamental knowledge and skills that on-site pharmacists bring to an aged care setting. Pharmacists have many varied dimensions and roles, including but not limited to clinical and clerical activities and interprofessional collegiality. The need to establish a community of practice for pharmacists and how the transition to the new aged care funding model for on-site pharmacists will also be further discusse

As international travel is again surging, more patients are coming to their pharmacist for advice on travel health. And with pharmacists able to initiate many vaccines, there is an opportunity to provide a complete service for these customers. In this session we will describe how you could introduce a travel health service to your pharmacy, with real-life examples of practical considerations.

This workshop will provide clinical updates on routine and travel vaccines, and information for pharmacists to review travel itineraries to determine the vaccines that should be administered. We will cover vaccination recommendations for travellers, including a refresher on which vaccines pharmacists can initiate and administer, and those which require a prescription. We will also cover advice on, deep vein thrombosis prevention, malaria prophylaxis, minimising the risk of disease, sexual health and safe travel behaviours.  

Information will be shared about the management of common travel conditions such as travellers’ diarrhoea and motion sickness, and advice that should be given to patients to manage their medicines while travelling.