Mon 29 November 2021

Vale Arthur Neville Jones

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the recent passing of Arthur Neville Jones, who was Chief Pharmacist of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital from 1977 until his retirement in 1990. Recognised nationally as a pioneer in the development of Clinical Pharmacy, Arthur's contribution to hospital pharmacy, both locally and nationally, was unprecedented. 

Arthur was born in Machynllith, Wales in 1931 and arrived in Australia in 1958. He worked in community pharmacy for several years before entering hospital pharmacy, working at Royal Perth from 1961 until 1977. Arthur was an enthusiastic advocate for higher education and was renowned for authoring many research papers. However it was his enthusiasm to develop a culture of research in the workplace which culminated in the remarkable achievement of more than 150 publications produced by Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Pharmacy staff under his leadership (1985–1990). 

With his astute mind and wealth of experience, Arthur’s expertise was sought by many university committees, national and editorial boards, conference committees and medical and pharmaceutical review panels throughout the course of his career. Industrially Arthur was instrumental in achieving a career structure and remuneration for hospital pharmacists in Western Australia which at that time was the envy of most other jurisdictions. This was in no small part due to the research he fostered with provided proof of the value and positive contribution clinical pharmacists made to patient care. Recogning his outstanding and sustained contribution to hospital pharmacy, Arthur was awarded two of the nation’s most prestigious awards – SHPA’s Medal of Merit (1983) and SHPA's Fred J Boyd Award (1991).

Arthur Neville Jones was a mentor to several generations of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians – some who are still working here today. He was a generous, charismatic leader who took every opportunity to promote the profession and grow his staff.  He leaves a legacy which will not be forgotten. He passed away peacefully on 8 November, 2021, aged 90 years. On behalf of SHPA members and the broader pharmaceutical community, we extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.