Counselling the way to pharmaceutical success
by Rodney Magazinovic
For pharmacists, talking to customers is a crucial part of the job. But having to do so under the eye of a panel of experts made it even more rewarding for one UniSA student.
Winnie Tran, a final year pharmacy student at UniSA, was recently selected as the South Australian finalist for the national Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Pharmacy Student of the Year competition.
Contestants had to impress the judges with their counselling techniques. A professional actor was hired to pose as a patient and the students needed to extract information from the patient to make appropriate recommendations, referrals or diagnoses.
“It was a little unusual at first with everyone watching, but we have had excellent training as part of the degree to deal with pressure situations,” Tran said.
“I was really pleased to have the opportunity to demonstrate my ability.”
This prestigious award is operated by the PSA, with support from one of Australia’s leading pharmaceutical companies, Alphapharm. The contest recognises the importance of communication and counselling skills in best pharmacy practice.
Part of her prize for winning the SA finals is an expenses-paid trip to the Pharmacy Australia Congress, the national professional conference for pharmacists, later this month in Melbourne, where she will battle it out for the Australian title in another live counselling session.
PSA South Australian Branch President Grant Kardachi praised the ability of the UniSA pharmacy students involved in the state competition.
“The judging panel was extremely impressed with the skills exhibited by all the students involved in the state final. Their communication skills were all of a very high standard. Winnie in particular was outstanding, and I am sure she will perform well in the national finals,” he said.
On completion of her studies, Winnie will begin her training year to become a registered pharmacist at the Repatriation General Hospital and hopes to continue working in that environment as well as exploring further opportunities in clinical research.