Book traces path from craft to science
by Charlotte Chalklen
A new book details the evolution of pharmacy and medical science education in South Australia.
From antibiotics to antiretrovirals, blood banks to genomics, the advances in pharmaceutical and medical technology over the last century have been nothing short of astonishing.
As scientific knowledge has evolved, so too have the educational requirements of the people whose job is to keep abreast of the latest diagnostic and treatment techniques.
A new book, From Craft to Science: the education of pharmacists and medical scientists in South Australia, provides insight into these changes and how they have affected the thousands of pharmacists and medical scientists who have trained at UniSA and its antecedents.
Written by UniSA pharmacy lecturer Neil Quintrell, the book juxtaposes the many medical milestones since the late 19th century with the changes, curiosities and controversies of the education system responsible for informing each successive generation of health professionals.
Before the advent of potent pharmaceuticals and formal science-based education, the role of the pharmacist was shrouded in mystery, with knowledge transferred from master to apprentice.
Reflecting on the beginnings of laboratory medicine, the book discusses some practices that would make even the most fervent Luddite grateful for today’s technologies. In the 1940s, for example, laboratory-conducted pregnancy tests required the use of frogs, and former IMVS lab manager Martin Hansen remembers travelling to Queensland to bring back a supply of toads in his days as a laboratory technician.
From those humble beginnings to today’s hi-tech and multifaceted system, Quintrell notes that one consistent theme has been the tension between industry demands for "work-ready" graduates and the need to provide a strong scientific basis to enable graduates to test and incorporate new knowledge throughout their careers.
"It’s not an issue exclusive to pharmacy but it’s always a tension in courses that require a practice element," he says.
"Today’s training system covers both angles, with the Bachelor of Laboratory Medicine incorporating a 12-month practical placement, while the Bachelor of Pharmacy must be followed by a year of on-the-job training before graduates may register as pharmacists."
From Craft to Science, features a list of all the South Australians who have graduated with pharmacy and laboratory medicine qualifications since 1933.
To buy a copy of the book, contact Bec Sewell on +61 8 8302 2378 or at rebecca.sewell@unisa.edu.au