Wed 2 September 2026
Tas celebrates its 2026 Branch Award Winners
AdPha's Tas Branch has announced the winners of its 2026 Branch Awards, recognising outstanding pharmacists, technicians and teams whose work has strengthened patient care and advanced the profession across the state over the past year.
Early Career Pharmacist Award: Jardene Lockwood
Jardene has been recognised for her exceptional leadership, innovation and commitment to excellence as an early‑career pharmacist within the Tasmanian hospital system. Since joining the profession in 2020, she has become a driving force for service improvement and team wellbeing, playing a pivotal role in dispensary leadership and championing the implementation of the Dispensary Entrustable Professional Activity Program. Her development of a statewide electronic orientation and training tool has significantly enhanced consistency, accountability and efficiency across both clinical and dispensary areas. Jardene has also contributed to improved patient access to funded PrEP through strengthened documentation processes and multidisciplinary education, demonstrating her ability to deliver practical, patient‑centred improvements.
Beyond operational achievements, Jardene has emerged as a compassionate and influential advocate for staff wellbeing, health literacy and organisational culture. As an ambassador for One Health’s Internal Reference Group, she has led initiatives that support mental health, including coordinating Mental Health First Aid training and fundraising more than $1,000 for Speak Up Stay ChatTY. Her forwardthinking approach, effective use of technology and genuine care for colleagues and patients have made her an inspiring presence within the department.
Team Innovation Award: Dispensary Entrustable Professional Activity Working Group
Chair: Stephanie McKellar FANZCAP (Edu., MedSafety), Clinical Lead – Pharmacy Education and Development, Royal Hobart Hospital
The Dispensary Entrustable Professional Activity Working Group is recognised for the outstanding leadership in transforming intern pharmacist training across Tasmania’s public hospitals. As chair of a statewide multidisciplinary working group, Stephanie has led the design and implementation of a new dispensary training model that replaced the existing community‑based EPA framework with a purpose‑built structure tailored to hospital practice. Under her guidance, the working group developed EPAs for inpatient supply, discharge dispensing, outpatient services, Schedule 8 and restricted Schedule 4 management, and paediatric dispensing. This ensures interns are trained to meet the unique risks, complexities and clinical demands of hospital pharmacy.
This innovative framework has now been adopted statewide, with trainers and interns reporting significant improvements in relevance, clarity and confidence in dispensary practice. This has not only strengthened intern training but has laid the foundation for broader workforce development, with work underway to expand the framework to support new hospital pharmacists and dispensary technicians. The vision, collaboration and commitment to highquality education by the working group has delivered a sustainable model that elevates hospital pharmacy practice across Tasmania.
Congratulations to all of this year's Tas Branch Award winners, and thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination.