Pharmacy 777’s Laura Stewart named Medicare champion

Pharmacy 777’s Laura Stewart has been named a Medicare champion for her commitment to people in the Pilbara’s health. Medicare champions are part of the national Stronger Medicare Awards, honoured at a Parliament House ceremony in Canberra on November 5 that recognised outstanding achievements, commitment to innovation, and unwavering dedication to patients. Ms Stewart was the only pharmacist on the winners’ list for 2024, and said the award celebrated teamwork, passion and commitment. “Being named a Medicare champion is a huge honour and recognition of the hard work and dedication of our entire team and the valuable contribution our pharmacists make to primary care in our local community,” she said. “We believe people living in rural areas such as the Pilbara deserve the same access to high-quality healthcare as those in metro areas. “So we strive every day to deliver this for the benefit of patients in our local community.” As part of this commitment to rural health, Ms Stewart created the Pharmacy Outreach Service. “Since 2010, we’ve partnered with Mawarnkarra Health Service in Roebourne, serving as an essential healthcare resource for their Indigenous community,” she said. “Our pharmacists travel daily to work within a multidisciplinary framework, where we manage the on-site dispensary, provide prescription counselling, (dose administration aid) . . . management, vaccinations, medication management reviews, (home medicines reviews) . . . and health promotion activities aimed at closing the gap. “We also care for a small population in a remote mining town 200km away, utilising technology like eRx, MySL and MedAdvisor to streamline services. “We provide telehealth consults to meet needs within our scope and organise daily delivery of medications in collaboration with the local medical outpost nurses.”