IT’S A WRAP! PHARMACISTS RE-CONNECTED AT THE ‘JUST BREATHE’ CONFERENCE

Each day, over 150 delegates from across the motu became immersed in a weekend of discussions, plenary sessions, networking opportunities, breakout sessions, awards dinner and much more, our National Conference ended on Sunday 18 June, and what a weekend it was! The 2023 Pharmaceutical Society ‘Just Breathe’ Conference took place at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre in Auckland. Attendees ranged from students, pharmacists, technicians and healthcare providers to researchers and workers from the pharmaceutical industry.

The Society is extremely proud to have been able to provide such an incredible event for its members and associates. Our previous conference took place before COVID put a stop to many events and all manner of gatherings, so it comes as no surprise that pharmacists were eager to reunite after such a long period of time. It was a joy to see so many of our friends and colleagues in person!

Day 1 kicked off with a welcome speech from the Society’s President, Professor Rhiannon Braund followed by an official address by Dr Ayesha Verrall, Minister of Health, who thanked all pharmacists for their mahi and displayed enthusiasm and commitment to keep working together to improve health outcomes in our communities. This was followed by our breakout sessions with a variety of options to chose from such as; The Ins and Outs of Vaping, Managing Medicines in the Elderly, and Mindfulness a Prescription for Wellbeing. Our plenary sessions included Optimising Medicines Outcomes in Care of the Elderly by Dr Ngaire Kerse and the Pharmacists Role in Public Health by Danny Wu. Another highlight of the day was the Awards Dinner where pharmacists were recognised for their outstanding contribution to the profession.

Day 2 opened with Professor Bob Hancox from the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at the Dunedin School of Medicine talking about his research on Respiratory Health. Once again it was panels galore with sessions on Pharmacy Careers, the EVOLVE Training Programme, and Current Hot Topics in Pharmacy Practice. Pharmacist Teei Kaiaruna delivered an interesting presentation on The New Health and Disability System and 2022 Pharmacist of the Year, Brooke McKay, closed the conference sharing her experience on Pharmacy Consultation Services.

In between all this, our Exhibition Hall was bustling with our Sponsor stalls, networking, and the delicious food served at lunch and tea breaks.

Disappointed you couldn’t be there in person? We have covered the full event with photos on our Facebook page. Follow us to see all the action from our breakout sessions, plenaries, exhibitors and much more.

A big thank you to all our delegates, speakers, sponsors, gift bags supporters, and the event team who made this such a memorable and inspiring event. The buzz in the room with optimism about the future of the sector, and the joy of once again being able to meet in-person was quite evident.