Pharmacy Today holds its first Popcorn Panel with a discussion on the future of pharmacy

Grab some popcorn, hit the couch; The Health Media has launched a new way to talk about key issues in health – The Popcorn Panels.

Following the success of The Popcorn Panels at our sister publication, New Zealand Doctor | Rata Aotearoa, Pharmacy Today | Kaitiaki Rongoā o te Wā is holding its first Popcorn Panel to chat about “What can save community pharmacy?”

Tune in on Wednesday 12 August at 7pm to join Pharmacy Today editor Ruth Brown and panellists, for an hour on Zoom, as they chat and take questions from the audience about the direction the pharmacy sector should be taking and what you think is the way forward.

You can post questions in Zoom on the night or send questions in advance to Ruth Brown rbrown@nzdoctor.co.nz.

Taking part in the first Popcorn Panel are Pharmacy Guild New Zealand chief executive Andrew Gaudin, Kaikōura pharmacy owner David McKee and community pharmacist Katrina Azer.

The panels are free to attend but it is necessary to register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_maxAcb2PQVGY4_y5aGPJGA

Pop in and chat for a while; we’d love to see you on 12 August.

Meeting the panellists:

Andrew Gaudin was appointed chief executive of the Pharmacy Guild in July 2016. He had previously spent more than 20 years in a variety of leadership and advisory roles at the Crown Company Monitoring and Advisory Unit, Ministry of Health, DHBs and healthAlliance, including five years as a strategic advisor in the director-general of health’s office.

Mr Gaudin is professionally qualified as a chartered accountant. He also has a bachelor of science (honours) degree in operations research and a bachelor of business studies in accountancy.

Mr Gaudin is currently also a board member on Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa New Zealand.

A Christchurch-based pharmacist with 12 years of community pharmacy and management experience, Katrina Azer has a primary focus on disease prevention through implementing projects and initiatives for better health outcomes.

Appointed to the Pharmacy Council in 2019, Ms Azer won two categories in the New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards | Te Ohu Mauri Ora: The Pharmacy Guild Community Pharmacy of the Year, and the Research and Education Award, together with Halswell Physiotherapy in February this year.

She also chairs the Christchurch City Council Multicultural Advisory Group, and is a past member of the PSNZ Early Career Pharmacist Steering Group.

Pharmacist David McKee has been managing director and owner of Kaikoura Pharmacy in Kaikōura since 1998.

Before that, from 1995 to 1997, he was staff pharmacist at Robertson’s Drug Store in St George, Bermuda. This followed a stint in 1994 as acting pharmacy manger at St John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin in London.

Mr McKee has a special interest in gout, with the Kaikoura Gout Project, as well as in rural pharmacy practice and the provision of pharmaceutical services to patients in a collaborative environment.