Pharmacy 777 is proud to announce that Pharmacy 777 Shoalwater has been named as one of six finalists in the prestigious 2023 Pharmacy of the Year Awards.

The Shoalwater pharmacy owned by Pharmacist Swarup (Sam) Afsar is the only Western Australian finalist and was selected from 488 nominations Australia wide. 

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia awards process aims to find the country’s foremost community pharmacy which is recognised and celebrated for its achievements, its innovation and its commitment to patients and communities. 

Pharmacy 777 Shoalwater Proprietor Sam Afsar said being named as a finalist was humbling and was a testimony to the dedication of his whole team, “I’m very lucky to have such an incredible team of passionate health care professionals at Shoalwater, he said. “Throughout some of the most challenging times of the pandemic, everyone stepped up to support each other and the local community”. 

Sam believed the support of the local allied health network, was a factor in Shoalwater’s success. “We have a very strong network of local GPs and other specialists we work with closely, and we’re also particularly proud of our hospital discharge support service, which we know is very much appreciated by our older patients as they transition out of hospital back into their homes,” he said.  

Managing Director of Pharmacy 777 Kim Brotherson, commends Sam, Pharmacy Manager Julie Ng and their team on their achievement, “Sam and Julie are both exceptional leaders who have embraced the importance of making a contribution, not only to their patients but also the community they serve.   

The 777 Group is rightly proud of the Shoalwater team and the community spirit they show.”

Spokesperson for the judging group and Senior National Vice-President of the Guild, Nick Panayiaris, said the nominations this year had set a new benchmark for the judges in terms of the quality of community pharmacies and their performance. “The nominations have been absolutely exceptional,” he said. “These awards have been presented for more than 20 years but the judges all agree this year has been outstanding.”

The six finalists in the 2023 Pharmacy of the Year finalists are: 

• Pharmacy 777 Shoalwater, Western Australia 
• Capital Chemist Calwell, ACT 
• Livelife Pharmacy Cooroy, Queensland 
• Thursday Island Pharmacy, Queensland 
• Wholelife Pharmacy & Healthfoods Pease Street, Queensland 
• Ouyen Pharmacy, Victoria 

The prestigious award is open to Pharmacy Guild members who can enter in the three categories: 

• Excellence in Business Management 
• Excellence in Community Engagement 
• Excellence in Professional Innovation

Category winners, along with the overall Guild Pharmacy of the Year winner, will be announced at the 2023 APP Conference to be held on 23-26 March 2023 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre.