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NEWS NEWS

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia Peek Into The Past

What Is A Pharmacy Guild Anyway?
KOS SCLAVOS | IMMEDIATE PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT (2005 TO 2013)
T
DONNIE CALHOUN, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT | ACA CEO

have been intrigued by the Charter handing in the Stark library ever since I
he Pharmacy Guild of Australia is the Australian national peak body have been at ACA. The Charter of the Guild of Pharmacists was decreed in
representing community pharmacy. It seeks to serve the interests of its members I
Pennsylvania in January 1940. I wondered what happened to the Guild and why
and to support community pharmacy in its role delivering quality health outcomes was it started. It was an interesting journey.
for all Australians. The Guild has been an extraordinary success story by any
measure. It has an office in the national capital Canberra as well as all 8 States and I called the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association and the American Institute of the
Territories across Australia. Over 300 staff are employed across Australia. From History of Pharmacy (located at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy)
humble beginnings in 1928, the Guild has developed over nearly 90 years into a to see if they had any idea on the creation of the Guild. I also used our trusty friend,
powerful advocacy and lobbying force on behalf of the interests of its pharmacy Google. The Pharmacists who signed the documents were who’s who of Pennsylvania
owner members and community pharmacy in general. pharmacists. There was Theodore Campbell Jr., John McDonell, Norman Wack, The purpose
Nicholas Edge, Henry DeHaven, James R. Morrison, and Harvey Spangler. The
Community pharmacy in Australia is a $15 billion a year health industry. Pharmacies purpose was the recognition of the professional pharmacist and the dedication to was the
dispense more than 297 million prescriptions a year. Location rules ensure that mathematics and science as related to pharmacy practice.
pharmacies are well spread across all States and Territories to meet community recognition
need, and ensure timely access to PBS medicines for all. Community pharmacies I was very interested in how and why the Guild was formed. The following is taken
employ about 60,000 highly skilled staff across Australia, including nearly 20,000 from the ACA 75th Anniversary publication Thinking Back, Looking Forward. Prior to of the
registered pharmacists. The network of community pharmacies means that 1940 there were several attempts to “distinguish the pharmaceutical sheep from the
community pharmacists remain the most accessible of all health professionals. goats”. Theodore Campbell was on the board of regents for the Philadelphia professional
College of Pharmacy and all were PCP grads. Many owned their own pharmacies.
The Federal Government in Australia chooses to negotiate with the Guild as the The feeling had been growing gradually in the 1930’s that a clear need existed for
primary pharmacy organisation because it understands that the Guild is best placed the banding together into mutual association of pharmacists whose primary activity pharmacist
to marshal the network of almost 5,600 community pharmacies around the country was in prescription or related health professional work. This need was not being
and deliver on the five-yearly community pharmacy agreements they negotiate. adequately addressed by the APhA or any other established organizations. Thus, and the
The Guild Pharmacy has changed over the years and the Guild had adapted to that change. early in the decade in the heart of the depression there emerged in Philadelphia the dedication to

“Guild of Pharmacists” as the inspiration of Ambrose Hunsberger, prominent
has been an In 1928, there were no pharmacists with university degrees, no Pharmaceutical Philadelphia pharmacist. With membership open by invitation, the Guild entered mathematics
Benefits Scheme, no computers, and no electronic communication with members.
into an ambitious program of public and professional relations. Under John M.
extraordinary There was, however, a group of health professionals dedicated to ensuring their McDonnell as executive secretary, it survived for 8-9 years to become the nucleus and science
of the Philadelphia Chapter of ACA and to provide support and encouragement to
patients had access to the most effective medicines of the day.
success story Those who work cooperatively with the Guild often admire the organisation for its the newly founded “American Professional Pharmacist” magazine. (In1969 it became as related to
“Pharmacy Times”).
by any ability to energise significant organisational and member resources in order to ‘get Well, there you have it, my mystery solved. ACA was formed in Virginia in 1940 and pharmacy
the job done’. A measure of the success is that fact community pharmacies must be

measure. owned and controlled by registered pharmacists. Community pharmacy ownership as you can see, there was much activity leading up to the creation of the American
has been hotly debated in Australia over many years. Even now, with supportive
College of Apothecaries. All pharmacists must thank these visionaries as they led the
legislation in place in every jurisdiction, the supermarkets wait for the opportunity charge to change the way pharmacy is practiced today, and we thank them for practice.
to move into the pharmacy space, so total vigilance is required by the Guild to helping to create the environment for the formation of the ACA. There is much,
ensure that current legislation remains watertight. much more to the history of the ACA and we have it available for you right here in
the office. Order your copy of the Thinking Back, Looking Forward today. I hope you
The profession of pharmacy has changed in many of its aspects since 1928. What is enjoyed this peek back into time and whenever you are in Memphis please visit us
constant, however, is the nurture, support and guidance the Guild has provided to at the ACA Stark Museum. Hope to see you soon!
community pharmacies.

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