PSNZ Forming New National Education Advisory Group

The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) is forming a national Education Advisory Group (EAG) to ensure educators and participants involved in PSNZ’s pharmacy education and training have an opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on educational issues, PSNZ President Rhiannon Braund announced today.

“We educate and train with a clear purpose – to produce pharmacists and technicians who have an appropriate level of skills and knowledge to make a difference to our communities and improve health outcomes in pharmacy settings throughout New Zealand.”

“As the peak body for the New Zealand pharmacy profession, which is responsible to participants, our members, and the wider profession for delivering our national Intern Training Programme (ITP) and PACT training programme for technicians, as well as a broad suite of other education and training offerings, we want to ensure that we have mechanisms to continuously improve what we are offering.

“The formation of an EAG will be a key mechanism for us to enable open discussions about all education and training issues and hear feedback from a broad variety of sources.

“Workforce is of critical importance – we know New Zealand needs more pharmacists and technicians and we have to do all we can to increase our workforce.

“We are incredibly grateful to the many PSNZ members who already contribute to this effort by being preceptors, facilitators, and assessors, to Te Whatu Ora’s Health Workforce group with whom we have funding contracts for our ITP and PACT programmes, and to our PSNZ team who oversee both programmes and provide a broad suite of other training and education courses and resources.

“We are also aware that there have been concerns expressed by interns, preceptors, members, and others about the performance of interns in the Assessment Centres we run on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (PCNZ).

“As part of its broader mandate, it will be helpful to have an EAG that can provide feedback on ways to support our interns through the ITP and Assessment Centre processes with the aim of increasing completion and pass rates.”

Professor Braund says PSNZ will be calling for expressions of interest from PSNZ members with expertise in education and training, including ITP interns and PACT programme participants, preceptors, and practising pharmacists.

A draft Terms of Reference (ToR) will be developed and circulated to those expressing interest and finalised after its consideration at the EAG’s first meeting and the PSNZ National Executive Committee.

“The PSNZ Board will receive a report from each meeting with areas for discussion and further decision-making if necessary,” says Professor Braund.

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