Position statements, practice updates and fact sheets
SHPA produces a range of position statements to explain key policy positions for members and the broader community, and articulate SHPA’s considered views on key topics and issues that are relevant to the professional role of members. SHPA also produces a range of fact sheets which explain the role of hospital pharmacy departments, cognitive services and other hospital pharmacist activities. SHPA fact sheets and position statements are developed by SHPA subject matter experts and approved by the SHPA Board of Directors.
Position statements
SHPA-endorsed statements
Practice updates
Fact Sheets for the community
Fact Sheets for Hospital Pharmacists
FAQs for Hospital Pharmacists
Victorian Branch Fact Sheets
Position statements
- Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all hospital workers and use of Rapid Antigen Testing to detect COVID-19 infection in hospital workers – September 2021
- Geriatric Medicine and Aged Care Clinical Pharmacy Services – July 2021
- Medication Safety Position Statement – September 2020
- Closing the loop of medication management in hospitals to improve patient safety with barcoding technology on unit dose packaging – June 2019
- Codeine: Up-scheduling of codeine- containing medicines to Schedule 4 Prescription Only – May 2018
SHPA-endorsed statements
- Delirium Clinical Care Standard - Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, October 2021
- Supporting safe practices for low-dose methotrexate: Position statement on the use of low-dose methotrexate – Council of Australian Therapeutic Advisory Groups, October 2020
- Sustainable access to prescription opioids for use in palliative care – Palliative Care Australia, May 2019
- Hip Fracture Clinical Care Standard – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, September 2023
Practice Updates
- Geriatric Medicine Outreach Pharmacist Services – October 2022
- Take-home naloxone in Australian hospitals – November 2020 (updated October 2022)
- Hospital-initiated medication reviews – November 2020
- Factors to consider for the implementation of automated pharmacy distribution systems in hospitals and health services – June 2019
- Preparation of Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) immunotherapy – February 2019
Fact Sheets for the community
Risk factors for medication-related problems (SHPA Fact Sheet)
So You're Going into Hospital (SHPA consumer information)
Fact Sheets for Hospital Pharmacists
SHPA's suite of fact sheets can be used by hospital pharmacy managers to promote the role of hospital pharmacists and are prepared as standalone documents.
Fact sheets are designed to support you in your discussions with CEOs, hospital managers and department heads to highlight the valuable contribution pharmacists make within your organisation. They can also be used when lobbying for funding for new positions and the inclusion of pharmacists as part of healthcare teams within various clinical units and departments in your hospitals.
SHPA acknowledges the unrestricted research grant provided by Celgene which supported this initiative through the Research into Practice pharmacist role.
- Antimicrobial stewardship - prevent and reduce infections and antimicrobial resistance
fact sheet | references and background material - Clinical pharmacy services – optimising patient health outcomes
fact sheet | references - Consider medication misadventure during Emergency Department attendances
fact sheet | references and background material - Medication assessment at pre-admission for elective surgery
fact sheet | references and background material - Medication reconciliation – how do pharmacists add value?
fact sheet | references and background material - Organisational medication safety: managing risk – how pharmacists help
fact sheet - Timely medication management in Medical Assessment and Planning Units
fact sheet | references and background material
FAQs for Hospital Pharmacists
Victorian Branch Fact Sheets
- Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017
fact sheet