Demand increasing for pharmacy courses in Mackay
New pharmacy courses are proving popular for students with demand increasing in Mackay and placements filling quickly in regional areas.
Mackay
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James Cook University's new pharmacy courses are proving popular with demand increasing in Mackay.
JCU Head of Pharmacy Associate Professor John Smithson said the response to JCU's first year of offering Pharmacy in Cairns and Mackay has been encouraging.
"We expanded our program in response to the local shortage of pharmacists and the need to improve health access for the communities in our region," he said.
"With local courses now available, it's a more affordable option for school leavers and career-changers alike, and increases the chance graduates will stay to practice in the region, improving the health of their community."
Seven students in Mackay will start their course this week, joining with 42 new Townsville students for the four-year course. Another 24 pharmacy students in Cairns will also start this week.
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Queensland Branch President and JCU Adjunct Professor Trent Twomey said the increase in the number of JCU students studying the course in 2021 was a positive step forward for community pharmacy.
A study published last year found two thirds of JCU Pharmacy graduates from regional, rural or remote areas ended up working in those areas, helping address a shortage of health professionals outside of major cities.
Dr Smithson said pharmacy was a diverse career, with pharmacists in Australia now providing an expanding scope of health care services including vaccinations, opioid substitution programs, wound care, and medication management reviews.
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"There are so many things you can do, from community pharmacy - educating and advising people on their medications, performing vaccinations and health checks - to hospital pharmacy, cancer specialists, Defence Force pharmacy and even medicines development and research," he said.
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