Board contributes to Pharmacists’ Support Service

24 Sep 2020

The Pharmacy Board of Australia (the Board) is pleased to announce that it will contribute funds to the Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS).

The PSS is a long-established service staffed by volunteer pharmacists who provide crisis telephone counselling and offers valuable health support services to pharmacists and students across Australia.

The service relies on the generous funding support from professional pharmacy organisations, ad hoc donations from the profession and fundraising activities.

From 2020, the Board will contribute $30,000 annually to PSS over three years to develop additional resources to enhance the well-being of the pharmacy profession.

The funds will go towards raising awareness with pharmacists, interns, students and employers of pharmacists about the health issues that impact the profession.

The funding will also enable the development of information, educational materials and a database of health services available to pharmacists with, or at risk of, impairment.

The Board’s decision to contribute funds to the PSS aligns with the provisions in the National Law for a National Board to provide funding to a health program for the profession it regulates.

‘The support provided by PSS contributes to public safety when pharmacists and students who need support and guidance access those services,’ Board Chair Brett Simmonds said.

‘PSS serves an important role in helping pharmacists and students to stay healthy and take care of themselves. It helps ensure that pharmacists and students are supported to practise safely so that they can continue to support the healthcare needs of their community.

‘These services are valuable to pharmacists and students who may be affected by experiences in practice, health and well-being concerns, the impacts of natural disasters such as bushfires and flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic and other experiences including National Scheme regulatory processes,’ he added.

PSS will continue to provide confidential services to pharmacists and students and will continue to operate independently of the Board.

‘The Board also acknowledges the considerable contribution of the volunteer pharmacists who help support their fellow pharmacists to continue providing services to their community,’ Board Chair Brett Simmonds said.

For more information about PSS including how to contact them for confidential counselling, refer to their website.

For more information

• Lodge an online enquiry.
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9285 3010 (overseas callers).
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200.