Jacqueline Meyer, managing pharmacist at LiveLife Pharmacy Cooroy, has been awarded 2023 Queensland Pharmacist of the Year by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), at their Queensland Excellence Awards in Brisbane on Saturday 23 September.
Jacqueline embodies what it means to be a community pharmacist. She is deeply connected to the community, and to her many patients in Cooroy.
She is passionate about medication safety, upholding quality standards, professionalism in the industry and growing the role of pharmacists in the safe, appropriate use of medicines from dosage to education and reviewing medications.
PSA Qld president Shane MacDonald congratulated all the award winners.
“We are lucky to be home to many pharmacists who go above and beyond for their communities and patients,” Mr MacDonald said.
“On behalf of PSA and all Queensland pharmacists, congratulations to all the award winners on your achievements.”
Jacqueline sits on two local Medication Advisory Committees for a palliative care hospice and the Cooroy Hospital, working collaboratively with prescribers and nurses in both environments as an integral and embedded part of this community. She has developed profound relationships with key health services in the local region.
She also provides nurse education, antibiotic stewardship, and patient education, reinforcing the support pharmacists provide and how they are making a difference in the community. Jacqueline has also trained as a lactation consultant to fill the gap in local services and enhance the support available to mothers in the region.
She is the founder and host of the Hinterland Health Expo, hosted in Cooroy and now in its second year, uniting health providers, building positive relationships, and facilitating collaborations between practitioners.
With free community access, members of the public can speak to a wide range of health professionals in a relaxed environment, fostering community accessibility, improving consumer awareness and education, and demonstrating that exhibiting practitioners prioritise community healthcare.
Jacqueline lives and breathes the values of the pharmacy profession and has been passionate about mentoring young pharmacists for many years. More than 10 PSA interns have been trained and mentored, with Jacqueline heavily investing in their development along the way.
As a female business owner and mother, Jacqueline is particularly dedicated to inspiring young pharmacists to establish their careers within the profession.
