Women in Pharmacy #ChooseToChallenge at International Women’s Day Breakfast on 8 March

Women in pharmacy and primary health care are invited to join The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch, at their International Women’s Day Breakfast. The breakfast, which will be run as a COVID Safe Event, is taking place at the Sofitel Brisbane Central Ballroom at 7am on Monday 8 March 2021.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #choosetochallenge, which Queensland Branch President, Professor Trent Twomey, said primary health care workers are very adept at.

“There are many amazing women in community pharmacy and primary health care who choose to challenge the ways things are done to better support patients. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic saw all community pharmacists, pharmacy staff and primary healthcare workers adapting quickly to change in order to support patients in the Queensland community,” Professor Twomey said.

“I invite you, your colleagues and your friends to join us at this special event on International Women’s Day to celebrate the amazing women in community pharmacy and primary health care who choose to challenge.”

“We’ve all challenged the norm in the past year. Whether that’s stepping up every day to be on the coronavirus frontline, supporting Queensland patients, or challenging ourselves as pharmacists to work to our full scope of practice.”

One such pharmacist who has chosen to challenge is the breakfast’s guest speaker, Karen Brown. Ms Brown is the owner of TerryWhite Chemmart Samford and was recently awarded the 2021 Australia Day Dickson Award for Small Business, Person of the Year.

“Karen is one of two guest speakers who will share their stories on how they choose to challenge. Our second guest speaker will be announced soon,” Professor Twomey said.

Ms Brown said that she looked forward to seeing her pharmacy colleagues face-to-face, to reminiscing on the year that was, and to discussing the further challenges that 2021 will bring.

“I love the theme ‘Choose to Challenge’. I felt in 2020 we didn’t get a choice; a challenge was thrown upon us, but boy did we respond.”

“2021 is about choosing to continue to challenge ourselves across all aspects – as people, as women, as leaders, as innovators. I look forward to sharing my journey, encompassing all the hats that I wear – pharmacist, pharmacy owner, entrepreneur, leader, wife and mother,” said Ms. Brown.

Tickets are limited and selling quickly. Attendees can register at https://qldguild.eventsair.com/iwdb2021/registration for $50pp, or secure a reserved table of eight for $45pp ($360).

Breakfast attendees can be rest assured that event organisers are doing all they can to ensure the event is COVID Safe for attendees, with the event being run under the guidelines of the Queensland Government’s COVID Safe Event Checklist.