Faculty of Pharmacy Foundation

In the mid-l970s the Pharmaceutical Society of New South Wales commenced discussions with the University of Sydney around the establishment of a Pharmacy Practice Foundation. The original twin purposes of the Foundation were to raise funds for a Chair in Pharmacy Practice, within the then School of Pharmacy, in order to satisfy the need for educating more patient-oriented pharmacy practitioners and to develop the practice of pharmacy to a professional level to meet the increasing needs of the community.

The creation of the Foundation in 1978 was tangible evidence that the profession was aware of expanding technologies and increased social pressures; and that there was beneficial interaction between industry and the University. The Foundations aims were to help promote teaching, research and debate in the area of pharmacy practice within the University and the pharmaceutical community in New South Wales.

Through regular meeting and special projects the Foundation was able to provide an excellent forum for keeping abreast of the developments with the industry and contribute to its future.

In 1989, the New South Wales Government, fulfilling an election promise, provided very generous funding to the Foundation. These funds allowed the Foundation to reach its goal and proceed to the process of appointing a Chair in Pharmacy Practice in 1991, Professor S I (Charlie) Benrimoj .

Once the Pharmacy Practice Foundation had realised its goals of engaging the pharmacy profession and establishing the Chair in Pharmacy Practice, it was in a strong position to continue its important work of providing support for the Faculty and the profession. In addition to the initial Chair, the Foundation and its sponsors established three other important academic positions:

Pfizer Chair in Clinical Pharmacy

Johnson and Johnson/Pharmacy Practice Foundation and Faculty of Pharmacy Chair in Pharmacy Management

Sanofi-aventis Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy

During the early 1990's the Foundation established and provided initial funding for the Australian Pharmacy Research Centre. This Centre collected and consolidated data on pharmacy practice, which was able to be sued to statistically measure the value and benefit of the pharmacist intervention within the healthcare sector. This data was crucial in discussions and planning with government bodies and within the profession. The value and need of the work of the Centre was recognised as of sufficient importance that it is now a routine part of the research with support by the Foundation, and the need for a separate Centre to undertake this activity is no longer required. (DOC2008/88468)

The Council of the Pharmacy Practice Foundation resolved on 23 June 2010 to broaden the scope of the objects of the Foundation from the support of only pharmacy practice to pharmacy as a wider discipline and to change the name of the foundation to reflect the broader scope. Senate resolution 132/10 approved the new rules and name change (Senate minutes 2 August 2010).

The Foundation Council determined that given the impending transition of the Faculty of Pharmacy into the new Faculty of Medicine and Health, philanthropic activity moving forward would best be managed by the incoming Head of School and Dean of Pharmacy together with the University's Development Office. Therefore the Foundation was closed by the Vice Chancellor 12 December 2017. [TRIM DOC2017/2237116]