Jane Hoffman
You might think of a pharmacist as the unseen person who fills your prescription, but there is an increasing need for pharmacists to manage patient medications and to be community educators, as the public grapples with the complexity of modern health care.
Giving friendly and informed advice is very important, and from day one, Griffith encourages the development of the skills, attitudes, behaviours and ethics for a well-rounded health professional.
"Griffith showed me how to play a pivotal role in public health." Jane Hoffman
For Jane Hoffman, a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science graduate from Ballina, the small class sizes and individual attention provided an ideal environment for the transfer of these skills.
Her clinical placements and part-time work in retail and hospital pharmacies have also confirmed the importance of good communication and counselling skills.
'There is a lot of emphasis on patient counselling in our dispensing workshops.'
You really appreciate the value of professional pharmacy practice training so you can help people make the right health choices.
Now studying a Master of Pharmacy, Jane initially studied natural medicine before deciding to take things further.
'I didn't understand the mainstream medicines that people were also taking, and wanted to provide them with more complete information.'
Pharmacy training at Griffith consists of a pharmaceutical science degree followed by the Master of Pharmacy.
Students benefit from the latest technology, with state-of-the-art formulation laboratories and a simulated dispensary providing a learning environment with the experience of real-life practice.
Graduates from the degree program who decide against becoming a pharmacist, have plenty of career options in technical and analytical roles in hospitals, science, pharmaceutical and research industries.
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