The Star Pharmacy Group recently held their 2022 Centre of Excellence conference at scenic Adelaide Oval. Pharmacists and retail managers from South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales pharmacies reconnected after a number of years apart.

The conference theme ‘Connecting Communities’ focused on how the group fosters deep connections with their patient communities but also the importance of nurturing peer-to-peer relationships.

Executive Director Peter Gardiakos thanked outgoing Chief Executive Officer David Clark for his substantial input over his 3.5 years of service and welcomed incoming Chief Executive Officer Peter Piliouras.

Keynote speakers included Dr Tom Nehmy from Healthy Minds with advice for building resilience in challenging times and prioritising wellbeing to develop a robust psychology. Social entrepreneur Simon Griffiths from Who Gives A Crap then spoke to success and failure, the learning opportunities they present and the important role organisations can play in social change.

The group also welcomed case studies from several of their team members on successful community engagement projects, new health service initiatives and more. Executive Chairman Stan Kontos also spoke with a rousing outline of the ‘Entrepreneurial Formula’.

A marketplace was bustling throughout break periods with attendees able to learn about product ranges from key sponsors including Arrotex, Pharmacor, Johnson & Johnson Pacific, Ego, Nestle, PharmaCare, Reckitt Benckiser and Herbs of Gold.

The Friday conference was followed up on the Saturday evening with the Star Pharmacy Group Awards Night. The black-tie affair was a fun night to celebrate the achievement of their peers across a number of awards categories.

The award winners included:
● National Support Office Employee of the Year – Simonne Cameron, Compliance & Training
● Preceptor of the Year – Peng Hor, Star Discount Chemist Pasadena
● Pharmacy Assistant of the Year – Cristina Garcia, Star Discount Chemist Aitkenvale
● Intern of the Year – VJ Ang, Star Discount Chemist Kilkenny
● Pharmacy of the Year – Nandita Anand, Sally-Ann Gargan & Team, Star Discount Chemist Banksia Beach
● Retail Manager of the Year – Rebecca Galbraith, Star Discount Chemist Aitkenvale
● Pharmacist Manager of the Year – Cathy Doan, Star Discount Chemist Park Holme

Photo credits: Liam Moran for Centre of Excellence conference.