The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) extends its sincere thanks to outgoing Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath MP for her service and her longstanding support of pharmacists following a Cabinet reshuffle announced today.
PSA Queensland President Shane MacDonald MPS sincerely thanked Minister D'Ath for her engagement with pharmacists over her term as Health Minister.
"Pharmacists across Queensland are able to do more for our patients and our communities because of Minister D'Ath's work in the Health portfolio," Mr MacDonald said.
"Since taking on the Health portfolio in 2020, Minister D'Ath has navigated Queenslanders through the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of introducing Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation, supporting pharmacist prescribing via the Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot and North Queensland Scope of Practice Pilot and expanding access to potentially lifesaving vaccines.
"Thank you Minister D'Ath for your ongoing support of our profession."
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced that Shannon Fentiman MP will take on the Health portfolio from today.
"On behalf of pharmacists across our state, I welcome Minister Fentiman to the Health portfolio, and look forward to working closely with her to improve primary care to all Queenslanders.
"There is still work to be done to make sure more vaccines are available to more Queenslanders. We want to work with the Government toward a future where all patients can access all vaccines from their local pharmacist, whether in a community pharmacy, general practice, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, or aged care facility.
"We have an opportunity to make Queensland the most progressive state when it comes to vaccine accessibility, and we look forward to working with the new Minister on this," Mr MacDonald concluded.
