The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Victorian Branch President John Jackson is today welcoming the newly appointed Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, while also thanking outgoing Health Minister Martin Foley. "As the Minister for Health in Victoria, Minister Foley has been responsible for allowing pharmacists to administer more vaccinations than ever before, allowing pharmacists to deliver COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to children as young as five, and also expanding the vaccination program to include Japanese encephalitis," Mr Jackson said. "He also oversaw the establishment of the Richmond medically supervised injecting room (MSIR), which has helped reduce individual risk of opioid use, as well as identify more people who are seeking treatment for substance use disorder. "Minister Foley has led the Victorian health sector through a turbulent few years. PSA joins the entire health sector in thanking him for his leadership and wishing him the best for the future. "PSA looks forward to working with the new Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to ensure that pharmacists can continue to deliver accessible health care. "Like many other states, Victoria faces significant health challenges including unsustainable pressure on our emergency departments. PSA reaffirms its commitment to working constructively with the Victorian Government to improve the sector's response to increasing demand. "PSA renews our calls for the Andrews Labor Government to improve medicine safety in Victoria by embedding pharmacists in state-run Residential Aged Care Facilities and increase the availability of clinical pharmacy services in public hospitals. "As medicine safety experts and one of Victoria's most accessible frontline health workforces, pharmacists can play a greater role in improving access to medicines and health care for the Victorian population and individual patients to enable better health outcomes for Victoria."
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The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the professional organisation of Australian pharmacists. PSA is the only government-recognised peak national body for pharmacists, representing all of the pharmacy profession in Australia.
