A new outreach program with New Zealand students is aiming to solve the pharmacist shortage in the ACT and surrounding regions.
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Three students from the University of Otago have been working on the front line in the territory to experience what it's like working in the capital.
New Zealand Association of Pharmacy Students president Kalani MacDonald has found it a positive experience to learn about Australia's system.
"Studying in New Zealand, everyone is always looking to Australia thinking the grass is always greener in terms of pharmacy practice, but no one knows what it's actually like," he said.
"I heard about this program and wanted to have a look and see for myself what it's like here. It's been more than what I was expecting."
A recent study by the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice showed worker retention was a concern, almost 50 per cent of Australian pharmacists intending to quit by 2033.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says more than 2400 full-time equivalent pharmacists are needed across the country, particularly in regional areas.
The program, run by Life Pharmacy Group, gives Bachelor of Pharmacy students in their fourth year at the university a chance to experience working in the Australian healthcare system and hopes to attract them back post-graduation.
Mr MacDonald was surprised at the differences in Australia.
"In New Zealand you'd have to count up exactly how many medications each person needs and you have to count up the exact amount of tablets; here you just give the whole box," he said.
"It means that here you have more time as a pharmacist to actually go out on the floor and talk to patients, whereas in New Zealand you're more locked up behind the dispensary."
Mr MacDonald said any students looking into the program should jump in and experience it.
Earlier this month the students flew to Cobar to assist with the administration of immunisations at a residential aged care facility.
They have also just returned from a week at LPG pharmacies in Forbes and Parkes, in central western NSW.
"We learnt about how isolated it was in the region and difficulties they get with vaccinating," Mr MacDonald said.
ACT Pharmacy Guild president Simon Blacker said the benefits were mutual, as students witnessed innovative things happening in the community, while learning they could take home.
"We do lose fantastic pharmacists to the public service, such as the TGA, and perhaps they're not using the clinical expertise they've had as much, so we're always looking for opportunities to find keen pharmacists," Mr Blacker said.
Pharmacist Bailey Stratford at Lanyon Pharmacy was hopeful for the future of the industry.
"Sometimes convincing the students to stay has been hard, but I think we're sort of leaving that now, which is good, and we can show them that it's not this huge draining experience that COVID was," she said.
Christopher Young, pharmacist in charge at Lanyon Pharmacy, said students had been blown away with how strong their patient support is.
"We are making a difference to the community, to the lives of people we know and care about. We just need to show that to the wider population," he said.
"We are very service-based. It's about the customer interaction and how much patient management we offer, and that's what I've been talking to the students about - they didn't know this is what pharmacy could be."
The rotation encourages students to join Life Pharmacy Group, which runs five pharmacies in Canberra and Queanbeyan, for their intern year.
"We want, and deserve, good pharmacists in regional and remote Australia and they're never going to come and work for us, unless they've had a look," Mr Young said.
