PSA and PDL team up to support medicine safety

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has entered into a new partnership with Pharmaceutical Defence Limited (PDL), to enhance collaboration between the two organisations on medicine safety and pharmacist practice support.

Both organisations agreed to explore new medicine safety initiatives, including support for a future nationally coordinated pharmacovigilance system as well as medicine incident and near-miss reporting systems, to provide feedback on the safe and effective use of medicines.

Under the agreement, PSA will commence work on the sixth report in its flagship Medicine Safety report series. A Practice Support Liaison Group will also be established between the two organisations to enhance support for pharmacists and scope of practice across all areas of pharmacy practice.

PSA National President Dr Fei Sim said the agreement puts both organisations in a stronger position to make medicines safer for all Australians through excellence in pharmacist practice, noting that PDL invests in pharmacist education and scholarships as well as practice support. PSA is excited to see that practice support expand for pharmacists across all practice settings, Sim said.

PDL board chair Paul Naismith said that the agreement will unite PDL and PSA members, who share the common goal of improving medicine safety in Australia.

“At PDL, we’re excited to be working together with PSA to help tailor practice support across the profession in areas it will have the biggest impact on improving medicine safety,” he said.

“We look forward to supporting and working with PSA to further strengthen our great profession as it strives to deliver on Australia’s growing health needs.”

Image credit: iStock.com/AndreyPopov