Our Popcorn Panel webinar on cultural safety is tomorrow night

“Cultural safety: What does it look like in pharmacy and why do we need it?” is the topic of tomorrow night’s Popcorn Panel brought to you by The Health Media and hosted by Pharmacy Today/Kaitiaki Rongoā o te Wā.

The Popcorn Panel will be live on Zoom starting at 7pm. If you haven't registered already, you can register here

Co-hosting the event on the night will be Kevin Pewhairangi, president of Ngā Kaitiaki o te Puna Rongoā – the Māori Pharmacists Association and Pharmacy Today editor Ruth Brown.

Discussing cultural safety will be panellists Ian McMichael, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Kasey Brown, president of the Pacific Pharmacists’ Association, and Mary Roberts, longtime Ngāruawahia pharmacist who has been involved in delivering Treaty of Waitangi, cultural competency, and anti-racism education since the 1980s.

Here is some background on our panellists:

Mary Roberts

Born in Kaikohe, Mary originally intended to study engineering, but a change of mind saw her enter the pharmacy programme at the Central Institute of Technology.

During the ensuing years she raised a family, obtained a degree in sociology and social anthropology with honours, was awarded the title of Massey Scholar for academic excellence, was a practising partner in Roberts Ngaruawahia Pharmacy and Ngaruawahia Pharmacy, worked tirelessly in a predominately Māori community to deliver Treaty of Waitangi-based pharmacy services to the wider community and worked to deliver Treaty training to DHBs and organisations such as PSNZ.

Mary also was a member of the group that developed the Māori Health Strategy for Pharmacy and the Midland Community Pharmacy Group’s Māori health strategy. She was a member of PRISM and is a passionate supporter of the work of the Ngā Kaitiaki o te Puna Rongoā – the Māori Pharmacists Association.

Kasey Brown

Kasey Brown, of Samoan descent, is president of the Pacific Pharmacists’ Association, a role she has filled since the association’s inception in 2018. Originally from Wellington, she has been a pharmacist since graduating in 2009.

Kasey is a hospital pharmacist currently managing the pharmacy at Gisborne Hospital. Two and a half years ago, she and her community pharmacist husband Kevin Pewhairangi moved to Gisborne where they established Horouta Pharmacy.

She and Kevin have three children.

Ian McMichael

Ian McMichael is president of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand, having been on the board since 2011.

After a pharmacy internship at Waikato Hospital in 1982, Ian became a pharmacy owner in 1987, and has owned Pharmacy 547 since 1989.

Pharmacy 547 has won many local and national awards, and is considered an exemplar of pharmacy service, through introducing the Pharmaceutical Review Service, clozapine, CPAMs, immunisation and other services.

Ian is also owner in partnership with others of Huntly West Pharmacy, Neville Kane Pharmacy, and Anglesea Pharmacy. All these pharmacies have a large percentage of Māori and Pacific patients and patients with high needs.

So grab some popcorn and hit the couch for what is set to be a scintillating discussion on Zoom. Don’t forget to bring your own ideas as well – you can send them through while panellists debate the issues.

Kick-off is 7pm, and we’ll send you an email reminder so you can be part of the action.

To aid proceedings,The Health Media managing editor Barbara Fountain is sharing her simple recipe for homemade caramel popcorn (sorry I can’t attribute properly – it comes out of a scrapbook full of clipped and handwritten recipes – Barbara), guaranteed to invigorate.

Caramel popcorn

2 tablespoons canola (any neutral flavoured oil)

4 tablespoons popping corn

120g brown sugar

50g golden syrup (maple syrup is a less sweet alternative)

25g butter

¼ teaspoon baking soda

You’ll need to time your making of the caramel coating with the popping of the corn because you want the corn to be hot when you add the caramel.

Life a baking tray with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160 degC.

Pop the corn in the oil. Remove from the heat.

Caramel coating

Put the sugar, golden syrup, butter and a tablespoon of water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 2 minutes then stir in the baking soda.

Stir the caramel through the popcorn and then spread the popcorn over the baking tray.

Bake for 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Can be stored in an airtight jar for a week but you will probably it in one sitting.