Specialty Practice
Communities is here!
Specialty Practice is now in Communities, our purpose-built platform for faster, easier communication between members, backed by our first app.
Need help accessing Communities? Go to Communities Guides to view the How-To videos.
ENTER COMMUNITIES >
via your Member Dashboard
(AdPha Members and NZHPA Affiliate Members only)
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Enhance your knowledge and advance your career at every stage
Specialty Practice is a valued Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) member benefit, wrapping pharmacists and technicians in networks of expertise and support, while enabling specialist hospital pharmacy expertise to shape the profession and national health policy.
Specialty Practice provides three levels of engagement across 30+ specialties.
Joining Specialty Practice is your gateway to a nationwide network of professionals and peer learning opportunities, and a wide range of resources including CPD, research, advocacy and policy, as well as SPG discussions.
Benefits of Specialty Practice for members
- Improve patient care and clinical decisions
- Develop pharmacy services, protocols and procedures
- Educate and train staff, and inform AdPha's national education program
- Identify medicine use trends
- Apply new research to practice
- Lead and influence your field by assisting with the development of Standards of Practice, education offerings and through advocacy
- Complete Learning Experiences (LXs) you can add to your ANZCAP portfolio
- Consult and share information with members, key stakeholders and government
- And much more!
Find out more about Specialty Practice in our Five Years of Specialty Practice report (August 2022). This covers all of the bases of what makes Specialty Practice such a useful benefit for our members, as well as the leaders and achievements of Specialty Practice in the first five years since its 2017 revamp.
Specialty Practice Groups
Start your Specialty Practice journey by sharing your expertise, developing your knowledge, and supporting the growth of fellow members.
Key benefits and information
- Open to all members: students, interns, technicians, pharmacists
- Join all Specialty Practice Groups relevant to your practice
- Targeted information about events and education opportunities
- Connect with leaders and peers around the country via SPG discussions
- Seek advice and support from fellow members
- Share resources and tips
- Reduce professional isolation
- Eligibility to vote for Leadership Committees
Start your journey and join Specialty Practice Groups:
Look for the link to Communities in your AdPha Dashboard, select Explore Communities, and select the SPGs you want to join.
For assistance, please contact specialtypractice@adpha.au.
Verified Members
What is a Verified Member?
A Verified Member is a Specialty Practice Group (SPG) member who has demonstrated expertise in a specialty and would like the opportunity to contribute that expertise to AdPha’s work.
Verified Members are recognised for their expertise, which may come from:
- Working in the specialty
- Completing additional qualifications
- Conducting research or teaching
- Earning ANZCAP recognition in the specialty.
Verified Members are listed as Key Members of their SPG so that AdPha—and other SPG members—can clearly identify who has specialist expertise in that area.
Why become a Verified Member?
If you want to contribute more actively and shape AdPha's work in your specialty or join a Leadership Committee, becoming a Verified Member is essential.
Joining an SPG allows you to learn from others and take part in community discussions but as a Verified Member, you will be:
- Visibly recognised as an expert with a Verified Member icon and listed as a Key Member of the SPG.
- Offered exclusive opportunities as part of the specialist pool AdPha draws on to:
- Develop and co-author Standards and Guidelines
- Respond to consultations and preparing submissions
- Contribute to AdPha education and Practice Updates
- Represent AdPha in external forums.
If you're not a Verified Member, these opportunities will not be available to you.
- Eligible to nominate for Leadership Committee roles when elections or vacancies arise—only Verified Members can nominate.
How to become a Verified Member
To apply, simply:
- Complete the Verified Member Application webform, providing information about your expertise in the specialty.
- Upload your CV as part of the application.
Who can be a Verified Member?
All pharmacist and technician AdPha members and NZHPA Affiliate members can apply to become a Verified Member.
Provisional pharmacist and student members are not eligible to become Verified Members.
Apply to become a Verified Member
Leadership Committees
Leadership Committees are a dynamic group of elected SPG members with deeper involvement and expertise in their specialty who drive activities for the benefit of all members.
Key benefits and information
- Inform policy and education initiatives
- Advocate for change at a senior level
- Influence pharmacy practice through key AdPha publications, incl. Standards of Practice and position statements
- Contribute directly to the national discourse through key AdPha promotional activities including media releases and public statements
- Contribute to publications and other key resources
- Receive recognition as a leader in your specialty, including use of the Leadership Committee badge and email signature device
- Network with other experts, influencers and key stakeholders
- Resources including online discussion forums
- Support from Verified Members and AdPha Secretariat
- Only Verified Members can nominate to be elected to Leadership Committees
2026 Leadership Committee members
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Cardiology
Clinical Trials
Compounding Services
Critical Care
Dispensing and Distribution
Education and Educational Visiting
Emergency Medicine
General Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Leadership and Management
Medication Safety
Medicines Information
Mental Health
Nephrology
Oncology and Haematology
Paediatrics and Neonatology
Pain Management
Palliative Care
Pharmacy Informatics and Technology
Research
Rural and Remote
Surgery and Perioperative Medicine
Technicians and Assistants
Transitions of Care and Primary Care
Women's and Newborn Health
Specialty Practice Groups
|
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health |
Medicines Information |
| *no Leadership Committee |
Useful resources
- FAQs
- Five Years of Specialty Practice report (2022)
- Communities Discussions Terms of Use
- Specialty Practice Terms and Conditions
- Specialty Practice Governance
- Leadership Committee Terms of Reference
- Guidelines for SPG Discussions Moderators
- Verified Member Assessments by Leadership Committee
- MedsScan Editor - position description
- MedsScan - guidelines for contributors
Please direct enquiries about Specialty Practice to specialtypractice@adpha.au.