Celebrating 25 years at the University of Tasmania - Pharmacy Education in Tasmania

(left): Heads of School: Alan Polack (1978-1994) Stuart McLean (1995 - 1997) Stephen Aldous (1997 - present) A collection of memorabilia has been brought together in a display at the Morris Miller Library, Sandy Bay campus of the University, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the School of Pharmacy becoming part of the University.

Dr Alan Polack (below), Head of the School from 1978 to 1994, declared the library display officially opened. In his address Alan recalled some of the history of pharmacy education in Tasmania.

		The existence of a physically identifiable School of Pharmacy in Tasmania appears to date back to 1952. Even though the School’s birth dates back some 50 years, the pharmacist registration process in Tasmania dates back considerably longer than that – to 1837. This was the beginning of the first formal and continuous registration process for Pharmacists in Australia and it occurred through a Court of Medical Examiners. This process continued in a variety of forms until 1891 when responsibility for registration was ceded to the Pharmaceutical Society of Tasmania. This arrangement continued until 1908 when State Parliament passed the Pharmacy Act and the Pharmacy Board of Tasmania was created. The Pharmacy Board became responsible for registration at this time and the education process was exercised, under the auspices of the Board, through a variety of arrangements for the next 44 years.
From the early 1950’s until the early 1970’s, the School was housed in the Technical College in and around the eastern end of Bathurst Street, Hobart. Teaching was managed by the Pharmacy Board and undertaken by several organisations – including the University of Tasmania – in a variety of locations during that time. In about 1971 the Institute of Technology (which later became the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education) became the authority responsible for the teaching and the School moved from Bathurst Street to the Mount Nelson campus in 1973.

A recommendation of the Karmel Inquiry into post-secondary education in Tasmania that the School become part of the University was implemented in 1978. The School physically moved to the Sandy Bay campus of the University in 1980. This meant that the School had endured three separate physical locations over a period of seven years from 1973 to 1978 and three education authorities responsible for the pharmacy education process in the seven years from 1971 to 1978.

above: Library display co-ordinators, Sandra Holmes, Lecturer, Pharmaceutical Science, with Gill Ward, Library.

In many ways the period up to 1978 and for some years beyond that was difficult times in pharmacy education in Tasmania. The School were experiencing predictable problems associated with becoming part of the university – including staff having to apply for their own positions. Not all academic staff were successful in those applications. In addition, national support within the profession for the view, emanating from all Schools of Pharmacy at the time, that School’s should be preparing pharmacy graduates for a more clinically orientated future, was minimal.

Looking back over the last twenty five years, substantial changes have occurred in pharmacy education and practice both locally and nationally. The bachelor course has been extended and its content is now far better balanced between the scientific basis of drug therapy and its practice. There are now several mandatory quality control and accreditation processes associated with the practice of pharmacy. There is an emergence in practice in hospitals and in the community of the pharmacist consultant in a variety of roles and in 2003 there exists a much more united profession with largely common aspirations than existed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

Pharmacy Memorabilia Display in the Morris Miller Library

Photos of the Library Display

History of Pharmacy in Tasmania

History of Pharmacy Prizes