I graduated from the University of Adelaide as a pharmacist many years ago when the University didn't deem it important to even confer a graduation ceremony on pharmacist graduands. This is why I am the only one in my family without a graduation portrait on the piano ! From this inauspicious beginning (it has improved now for pharmacy graduands) I have successfully spent a career in many facets of pharmacy practice - managing community pharmacies, hospital pharmacy, drug & alcohol clinicsand consultant pharmacist to a Co-ordinated Care trial where I reviewed medication regimens three monthly for over 600 trial patients and initiated and researched a pharmaceutical program. Currently I am consultant pharmacist to the Melbourne Division of General Practice where I work with a membership of over 600 GPs in Quality Use of Medicines issues, Division Health projects and pharmaceutical education for GPs. I have spent 10 years as a Councillor on the PSA - South Australian branch ,two of them as President. I also spent two of those years on the National PSA council and on the ACPP Council. For six years I was a member of the Pharmacy Board of South Australia until in 1998 I moved to Victoria for family reasons. I have a passion for QUM which I believe is the pharmacists' impremateur.Machines now have the capacity to 'supply' medications probably more accurately and with far less stress and resource tied up in menial tasks and it is my vision to see pharmacists of the future working in the community in their field of expertise as medication experts in places and roles we have as yet not even envisaged.This is the reason that I am so enthusiastic about my new role in working with the prescribers.I hope to write more on this and hope it will help the visionaries and pharmacists who do want to use their expertise in challenging roles to further the opportunities that are slowly being uncovered. I do not want to criticise organisations and individuals working in the professionbut to add to the debate, challenge assumptions and 'comfort zones' and look with vision and intelligence into moulding a future that optimises great human resources,astonishing science and clever organisation where there are no 'hidden agendas',to offer a future to the graduates of this time that is stimulating , rewarding and allows them to contribute to the well being of the 21st century community.
Heather C Pym
Consultant Pharmacist
Melbourne Division of General Practice

INDEX OF ARTICLES

Reformatting the System - With Promising Results ?

A Year’s Perspective: Progressing the QUM Agenda in a Division of General Practice

Reflections on the Grand Final

Challenges of Changing the Culture

The Challenge Of Timely Response

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE WILD WEST OF TEXAS

Mutual Trust and Respect -
The Imperative Interprofessional Ingredient to Good Patient Care

Some reminiscences from the National Medicines Conference

Keeping the Dream Alive!

An imperative safety ( and professional) issue for General Practitioners and Pharmacists

General Practitioner and Pharmacist Relationships -
Are Pharmacists Relevant????

Medical Initiatives in the Community

October 1st DMMR Day

Moving Forward in Medine (And Having Fun)

MEDICAL PRACTICE PHARMACY
Pharmacists working with General Practitioners
as Medication Advisers (Part Two)

MEDICAL PRACTICE PHARMACY:
Pharmacists Working with General Practitioners as Medication Advisers