Universities Australia (UA) is the peak national body for Australia’s thirty-nine comprehensive universities. Our universities educate and train virtually all of Australia’s new-entry domestic health professionals, including pharmacists. They also provide ongoing education, upskilling and reskilling for existing health professionals – both domestic and international, as well as undertaking health research. We therefore take a keen interest in health and health workforce policy, standards and regulation. UA is assisted in this work through regular consultation with our Health Professions Education Standing Group (HPESG). HPESG comprises senior university leaders across all jurisdictions and from the Council of Pharmacy Schools Australia and New Zealand (CPS).
RESPONSE TO THE CONSULTATION
This submission is from a whole of university sector perspective and is limited to those elements of the draft consultation/standards relevant to the sector overall. UA refers the APC to CPS’s separate submission for a more detailed response to specific questions and standards.
The submission:
- promotes the role of universities in delivering such education;
- supports extended practice roles for pharmacists and other health professionals through appropriate education delivery;
- recommends support for education providers to work in partnership with service providers to develop suitable WIL; and
- highlights the contribution of this type of education to interprofessional learning/practice.
