Rural Pharmacy Scholarships

Pharmacists play a key role in maintaining the health of all Australians. Often the local pharmacy is the first place people go to seek help with minor ailments or to look for basic information on health issues and products.

In recognising the important role played by pharmacists, the Australian Government announced in the 2000-2001 budget, an additional $11.47 million to expand the Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program.

The program was initially established in 1999 to develop a rural pharmacy curriculum; to assist with professional development including undergraduate scholarships, internship allowances and professional development subsides and, to provide support for locum relief schemes, including a national pharmacy recruitment database.

The Department of Health and Ageing and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia signed an agreement for the expansion of the Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program in December 2000. Projects being funded under the expanded program include:

• An emergency pharmacist locum service for rural pharmacists;

• An expansion to the Rural and Remote Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme increasing the number of scholarships available from four to twelve per year;

• An increase in funding for allowances to assist pharmacy students undertake rural placements during their study;

• Funding to allow a pharmacist academic to be located in each of the existing University Departments of Rural Health;

• Increased funding for the Continuing Professional Education Allowance to encourage and enable pharmacists to undertake training and development opportunities;

• An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Scheme providing funding for scholarships to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to study pharmacy; and

• An infrastructure and support scheme to provide grants to rural and remote pharmacists to develop more localised strategies in service delivery and infrastructure to link rural and remote pharmacists with each other, health practitioners and clients.

The Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program is part of a larger Enhanced Rural Pharmacy Package, which also provides a range of allowances aimed at ensuring ongoing viability of pharmacies in rural and remote areas.

These include financial assistance for establishing new pharmacies or purchasing existing pharmacies in identified areas of need; allowances to pharmacists providing a range of quality use of medicines; support services to Aboriginal Health Services and a new Rural Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance. The Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance replaces the existing Isolated Pharmacy and Remote Pharmacy Allowances.

For more information on the Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program contact the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on 02 6270 1888 or visit their website at http://www.guild.org.au/

The Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program offers two scholarships to encourage students from rural and remote communities to undertake tertiary undergraduate studies in pharmacy. There are also Rural and Remote Placement (Internship) Allowances - see more below.

• The Rural and Remote Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme provides recipients with $6,000 annually, for up to four years of study.

• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Scheme provides $15,000 annually to recipients, for up to four years of study.

Application Process:

Application forms may be obtained from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia by contacting them on telephone (02) 6270 1888 or from their website. The closing date is generally by the end of February each year.

Selection Criteria for eligibility:

Visit the Pharmacy Guild of Australia website for current selection criteria and eligibility guidelines.

Rural and Remote Placement (Internship) Allowances

There are also Rural and Remote Placement (Internship) Allowances available to assist pharmacy students to participate in a rural or remote area placement. Up to $1000 is available per placement and may be used by students to offset the costs of accommodation, travel, or incidentals related to the placement.

Application Process:

Applications for the allowances are called for at the commencement of the academic year, through the Schools of Pharmacy. Application forms are available from participating Universities.

Selection criteria for eligibility:

Visit the Pharmacy Guild of Australia website for current selection criteria and eligibility guidelines.

For more information contact the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on 02 6270 1888