1975
HPS Pharmacies (HPS) was founded by Bruce Heal and began servicing one 28 bed Nursing Home.
1979
HPS awarded contract to manage the Pharmacy for Ashford Community Hospital Inc. HPS was servicing three nursing homes at that time, giving total bed numbers serviced of 241.
1980
HPS was the first to undergo Hospital Pharmacy Service Accreditation in South Australia.
1981
HPS introduced the Webster Medication System for residential care facilities into South Australia.
1981, HPS introduced the narcotic imprest system into private hospitals in South Australia and was a model for the legislation which followed describing the system.
1983
HPS purchased the Pharmacy of Ashford Community Hospital to further develop the outreach service for the hospital. Until that time, the service maintained for other hospitals and nursing homes was carried out at an HPS owned community Pharmacy in the city. With the purchase of the Ashford Pharmacy, the hospital work at the city pharmacy was shifted to Ashford, allowing a larger range of stock and greater impetus to develop specialised services. The retail pharmacy was subsequently sold.
1987
At the request of the South Australian Health Commission, a proposal was developed to address the medication management services to country hospitals. Since that time, the division has been developed and expanded with country hospitals throughout South Australia now being serviced from Adelaide. These hospitals are supplied with stock and sessional Clinical Pharmacists.
1988
Janene Garde, a Pharmacist who had worked with HPS for three years, joined in partnership in the business.
1988 also saw HPS commence external education programs with our Pharmacists lecturing on pharmaceuticals in TAFE courses. This service included lectures at SAIT School of Nursing, North West Nurse Education Centre, Nursing School of the Air and sessional Clinical services.
1990
HPS the Nursing Services division - a division staffed with Registered Nurses and designed to educate, coordinate and supply in those areas which fall between Nursing and Pharmacy - examples being enteral feeding, dressings, orthopaedic equipment and incontinence. This service is now a separate company known as Healthcare Industries Australia and operates nationally.
1991
HPS made a commitment to Total Quality Management. This meant the appointment of a Quality Assurance coordinator to implement a formalised staff development program and Quality Assurance program.
1991, HPS received a grant from the Australian Pharmacy Research Foundation to undertake a study into the effects of Clinical Pharmacy in Nursing Homes. This study was completed in 1992 and published in 1993.
1994
Saw the completion of a purpose built pharmacy with a total size of approximately 350 square metres. At the same time, HPS established an on-site satellite pharmacy in the foyer area of Ashford Community Hospital Inc.
HPS awarded the contract to manage the pharmaceutical services for Calvary Hospital Adelaide Inc, involving the provision of staff for the on-site pharmacy at that hospital.
HPS was selected by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to participate in an application for a grant from the Federal Government for "The Best Practice in Health Sector Program". In particular HPS was asked to submit its training program for trainee Pharmacists to be examined and submitted as a best practice benchmark for the industry.
1995
HPS was chosen as the successful tenderer for the ownership and management of the Pharmacy Department at Modbury Public Hospital. The establishment of this pharmacy in the inaugural privatisation of a public hospital in South Australia has proved most successful with a lowering of operating costs and drug prices.
HPS, together with The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, sponsored a scholarship for a Pharmacy Trainee to visit the United States of America for six weeks to study Consultant Pharmacy, the application of clinical pharmacy in a residential care setting.
HPS establishes Victorian operations and joins with Joe Gelb, James Ischia and Virginia Lack at Knox Private Hospital.
HPS worked in partnership with Knox Private Hospital to successfully introduce the first trial of a paperless PBS claim. This has streamlined administrative functions for hospital, doctor and pharmacy alike. Outstanding prescriptions have been greatly reduced consequently improving relationships with medical staff.
1996
HPS was selected to consult to the Western Health Care Network (Victorian Health Commission) and review the pharmacy services of the network. This included 10 public hospitals with pharmacy departments in suburban Melbourne including, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Western Hospital.
1997
HPS was successful in being awarded grants from the Department of Veteran Affairs to provide educational sessions to nursing staff in nursing homes with veteran residents and clinical services to veterans in private hospitals. These grants were extended in 1998 to include Victoria.
1999
Stephen Furlan, Mandy Francis and Trevor Draysey joined Bruce Heal and Janene Garde in partnership in HPS Pharmacies. Both Stephen and Mandy had worked with HPS for 10 years prior to joining the partnership, whilst Trevor joined HPS from the Public and Environmental Health Services branch of the Department of Human Services.
2000
HPS joined Joe Gelb and James Ischia in it's first retail community pharmacy at Blackburn, Victoria to support the growing amount of work being offered in residential care. The busy medical centre pharmacy, at this time was an integral part of the development of residential care services. This led to the rationalisation of the services to private hospitals from HPS - Knox (Knox Private Hospital).
2000, HPS achieved accreditation through the Quality Care Pharmacy program, an initiative of the Commonwealth Government involving pharmacies throughout Australia. HPS was subsequently nominated for the Pharmacy of the Year Award and selected as the monthly winner for February and finalist for the National Award in March.
2001
HPS was awarded two important contracts, the first to manage the pharmacy department of the Whyalla Hospital - a large regional country hospital.
The second, being the supply of all methadone requirements to South Australian prisons. The methadone supply is not only a logistical challenge which being met by the development of purpose written software by the HPS IT department, but also an important community service with a program which is growing due to community demand.
2002
After growing too large for its then premises, HPS National Head Office, moved to purpose built premises at 29 Alexander Ave, Ashford SA. These premises include cytotoxic facilities and are the state of the art for the supply to residential care facilities and metropolitan hospitals.
HPS also introduced a new concept in medication administration packaging - mediSACHe that will advance the administration of medication to a new sophisticated level. The system is time saving, light to transport and designed with information technology to saving nursing time in the management of the total medication administration process.
2003
In 2003, HPS Pharmacies and Wyatt Pharmacy aligned under the banner, HPS Pharmacies. This alliance brought together over forty years of experience, in excess of 250 staff and 9 pharmacist partners - Bruce Heal, Janene Garde, Tony Wyatt, Mandy Francis, Trevor Draysey, Stephen Furlan, Joe Gelb, James Ischia and Virginia Lack.
HPS once again achieved outstanding success in its re-accreditation in 2003. The independent Assessor, John Heidt stated: "HPS Pharmacies presents a facility that is unlike any other pharmacy that has as its core a dispensing practice that provides quality outcomes and service to its patients...the organisation has structured a management and supervisory practice that enables all the requirements of ethical practice associated with dispensing to be maintained at a high level to which the community can have confidence and trust."
2004
In 2004, HPS Pharmacies developed an alliance with the University of South Australia School of Pharmacy and the Centre for Pharmaceutical Research. An HPS Clinical Pharmacist was also appointed as part-time Clinical Tutor - a position which revolutionised the way in which third and fourth year pharmacy students were exposed to hospital pharmacy placements, particularly in private practice. This affiliation also symbolised the importance HPS Pharmacies places on research within the health industry particularly in the quality use of medicines.
In 2004, HPS purchased Mitcham Pharmacy in Victoria - a medical centre pharmacy that serviced Ringwood Hospital, a busy oncology based hospital practice. HPS also purchased three pharmacies - Albany Creek, Kippa Ring and Cleveland in Brisbane, all of which are involved in hospital and aged care servicing.
In 2004, Kirsten Boyce, Samantha Greaves and Tin Huynh joined Bruce Heal, Janene Garde, Tony Wyatt, Mandy Francis, Trevor Draysey, Stephen Furlan, Joe Gelb, James Ischia, and Virginia Lack in partnership in HPS Pharmacies. Sam, Kirsten and Tin had all worked with HPS in a number of specialist roles before joining the partnership. In 2004, HPS had 12 pharmacist partners across South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.
In August 2004, the St. Andrew's Hospital on-site pharmacy was officially opened. HPS Pharmacies and St. Andrew's previously shared a seven-year association through services from the National Head Office. The new pharmacy on-site was instituted to provide more efficient services, increased clinical services and a more responsive service.
2004, also saw the launch of the HPS wide area network, which has facilitated centralised administration allowing for specialised department functionality and improved reporting and benchmarking. Staff have intranet access to policies, procedures and a diverse range of informational resources for improved and universally consistent services to clients.
2004, HPS was awarded the contract to manage the pharmaceutical services for Melbourne Private Hospital, a 124 bed tertiary referral private hospital, co-located with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, this involves the provision of staff for the on-site pharmacy of the Melbourne Private Hospital.
2005
HPS and Joondalup Pharmacy develop a strategic alliance. This transition marks the commencement of an exciting expansion for HPS Pharmacies into Western Australia.
2006
On 1st January 2006, Megan Farnsworth joined in partnership with HPS. Megan began with HPS whilst at University as a student working part time, then completed her pre-registrant year with HPS before working in the HPS National Head Office, HPS - Whyalla (Whyalla Hospital) and then more recently as Queensland State Manager. In 2006, HPS now has 13 pharmacist partners across South Australia, Victoria and Queensland - Bruce Heal, Janene Garde, Tony Wyatt, Mandy Francis, Trevor Draysey, Stephen Furlan, Joe Gelb, James Ischia, Virginia Lack, Samantha Greaves, Kirsten Boyce, Tin Huynh and Megan Farnsworth.
On 29th April 2006, HPS Pharmacies in conjunction with Peter McBeath and Adrian Wilson, from McBeath's Pharmacy, as a joint venture, will manage the pharmacy in The Hills Private Hospital. The Hills Private Hospital provides a range of core specialty services including orthopaedics, interventional cardiology, obstetrics, neurosurgery, Gynaecology, Respiratory Medicine and Cardiothoracic Surgery.
On 1st May 2006, HPS Pharmacies will manage the pharmacy in Freemasons Hospital. Epworth Freemasons Hospital provides a wide variety of specialised services including, maternity services, day procedure centre, critical care unit, cancer and oncology services as well as surgical specialties.
In June 2006, HPS Pharmacies was awarded the contract to manage the pharmaceutical services for all Healthscope Hospitals nationally. HPS Pharmacies retained 8 of its original hospital service contracts and is currently in the process of rolling out services and placing on-site hospital pharmacies in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. This contract involves a diverse range of specialties from acute to psychiatric to rehabilitation hospitals.
On May 14th 2007, HPS opened it's first site in Tasmania. HPS - Hobart, Hobart Private Hospital provides services to 132 beds across Cardiac, Maternity and Emergency Care.
HPS now services over 300 hospitals, aged care and correctional service facilities in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia totalling more than 15,000 beds across 6 pharmacy locations throughout South Australia, 5 pharmacy locations across Victoria, 3 pharmacy locations across Queensland, 1 pharmacy in Tasmania and 1 pharmacy in Western Australia. The total staff numbers are in excess of three hundred including ninety pharmacists and the total size of the pharmacy at 29 Alexander Ave has increased to 1,000 square metres.
HPS is the largest private hospital pharmacy in Australia and is attracting attention from its own peers as a show-piece of the profession and attention from pharmaceutical companies who are keen to utilise its network for research of their various products.