Colby Diek from Craignish Pharmacy, Queensland has clinched the esteemed National Pharmacy Assistant of the Year 2023 accolade.
The announcement was made official as part of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia/Maxigesic National Pharmacy Assistant of the Year award.
Colby emerged victorious from a group of eight state and territory pharmacy assistants who vied for this coveted title at the national workshop in Sydney on Thursday. The event took place during the Pharmacy Assistant National Conference.
The PATY award stands as the pinnacle recognition for pharmacy assistants, honouring and celebrating excellence in Australian community pharmacy through leadership, innovation, and community service.
Alice Vanderpol, the award judge and 2018 PATY Award national winner, as well as a Pharmacy Guild trainer, expressed her delight at the high calibre of the finalists.
She commended the way they presented themselves and shared their personal experiences, praising their dedication and commitment to their roles as pharmacy assistants.
“The way the finalists presented themselves and spoke about their own personal experiences was admirable,” she said.
“I can see how dedicated and committed they are as pharmacy assistants. Every year the bar is raised in terms of the passion and commitment displayed and choosing just one winner is always an extremely difficult task. Congratulations to Colby. This year’s state and territory winners have demonstrated a strong commitment to their work and to the industry, and that is what this award is all about.”
In recognition of her outstanding achievement, Colby has been awarded a $5,000 cash prize, along with flight, travel, and accommodation packages to attend Guild conferences, which will further support her career and professional development.
Congratulations are in order for the state and territory winners from this year:
- ACT: Anneliese Hoff from Discount Drug Stores Tuggeranong
- NT: Bridget Honner from Blooms the Chemist Bakewell
- NSW: Morgan Burnside from Priceline Pharmacy Beecroft
- SA: Mikailee Weltman from The Barossa Pharmacist in the Mall
- TAS: Jemma Denholm from Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse, Devonport
- VIC: Amanda Carlyle from Malmsbury Pharmacy, Malmsbury
- WA: Alicia Ward from TerryWhite Chemmart, Kingsley
Nominations for next year’s award will open in February 2024.
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