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Oncology Upskilling at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

Recently, Pharmacy Clinical Education Pharmacist, Tanya Crichton-Jacotine, Associate Deputy Director of Pharmacy, Nicole Purkis and Pharmacist, Eliza Brown, along with Pharmacy Technicians Kristy Elkner and Melinda Cottier, attended a four-day oncology and haematology upskilling program at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse in Sydney.

The immersive program provided valuable insight into contemporary cancer care, including clinical verification of chemotherapy, management of treatment-related toxicities, multidisciplinary team collaboration, cytotoxic compounding, quality assurance processes, and emerging therapies such as immunotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy.

Participants had the opportunity to learn from specialist oncology pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and multidisciplinary clinicians while observing best-practice workflows across both clinical and production settings. The experience highlighted the critical role pharmacists and pharmacy technicians play in ensuring the safe and effective delivery of cancer treatments.

The knowledge gained will be shared with colleagues through ongoing education and discussion sessions, helping to strengthen local oncology pharmacy services and support the delivery of high-quality patient care across AWH.

This opportunity reflects our department's ongoing investment in professional development and exemplifies the message that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are essential partners in advancing health outcomes for our community.

AUSMAT Team Member Training Achievement

Pharmacist Jo Hunt has completed Team Member training with the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT).

AUSMAT is Australia's nationally deployable multidisciplinary medical emergency response capability, providing support during domestic and international disasters, disease outbreaks, and humanitarian emergencies. Accreditation reflects a high level of professional expertise, adaptability, and commitment to delivering healthcare in challenging environments.

Jo's achievement demonstrates the diverse skills within the AWH Pharmacy Department and highlights the important role pharmacists can play in emergency and disaster response. Through this accreditation, Jo joins a highly skilled workforce prepared to support communities when additional healthcare resources are needed most.

Inspiring Excellence

These achievements reflect the breadth of expertise within our pharmacy team and show how our staff contributes to healthcare at local, state, and national levels. We celebrate the leadership and innovation of our pharmacy workforce and recognise the many ways they make a difference every day.