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Ruth Cooper

Journalist, editor and content creator with a decade's worth of experience across print, digital and social.

Avid reader, writer and podcast streamer. Decent plant mum.

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My work

Australian Pharmacist •

Breaking barriers to emergency contraception

Almost two decades after the emergency contraceptive pill was listed as a Schedule 3 medicine, women still face myriad barriers to access. Pharmacists can help break down these barriers and empower women when it comes to their reproductive health.

Sexual health physician Dr Terri Foran has worked in women’s health for almost four decades, most recently as a lecturer at the University of New South Wales School of Women’s and Children’s Health and as a medical officer in the Research Unit at Sydn
Create •

From a radio pioneer to an aeronautical expert, these engineers were some of the first

To celebrate International Women’s Day, create maps the careers of three trailblazing engineers who forged a path in the profession.

Australia is home to many influential female engineers, from recycling revolutionary Veena Sahajwalla HonFIEAust CPEng to biomedical innovator Professor Hala Zreiqat and Engineers Australia’s own Dr Bronwyn Evans AM HonFIEAust CPEng and Jane MacMaster FIEAust CPEng.

But this wasn’t always the case. It took the courage and conviction of engineers like those below
Australian Pharmacist •

Former CMO Brendan Murphy on leading through a pandemic

Dealing with challenging situations and weighing up the best available evidence is a familiar scenario for medical professionals. But for Secretary of the federal Department of Health Professor Brendan Murphy, who led the health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scope of the challenge – and the evidence – changed constantly.

As Australia’s top COVID-19 spokesperson and Chief Medical Officer, Prof Murphy became a familiar face, fronting daily press conferences to relay the latest informatio
Australian Pharmacist •

R U (really) OK? Tips for checking in

With reports of pharmacists experiencing high rates of burnout following an incredibly stressful 18 months, checking in with each other is more important than ever. Australian Pharmacist got some expert advice from the R U OK? Day team about staying connected.

Held each year on the second Thursday of September, R U OK? Day is a national day of action that promotes the importance of starting conversations with friends, family and colleagues about how they are faring.

The theme for 2021 is ‘Are
Australian Pharmacist •

Pandemic puts the spotlight on medicine safety in aged care

The COVID-19 pandemic has made pharmacists even more vital for medicine safety in aged care, a royal commission has been told.

PSA’s recent submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety stated that services such as residential medication management reviews (RMMRs) have been made even more valuable in the current climate.

PSA provided nine recommendations to improve medicine safety in aged care, including:
• None implementing better data collection, monitoring, feedback a
Create •

At the Blue Economy CRC, engineers are transforming how we use our oceans

Bringing together expertise in marine engineering, renewable energy and aquaculture, a new cooperative research centre aims to transform the way we use our oceans — and tap into a lucrative market.

The Federal Government’s National Aquaculture Strategy aims to double the value of aquaculture production to $2 billion by 2027, but a lack of suitable near-shore production sites is preventing growth.

The solution? Go offshore, taking advantage of Australia’s exclusive economic zone — the third-lar
Create •

Meet the engineer teaching robots how to get a grip

Robots might be adept at working on a production line, but ask them to load a dishwasher and you’re likely to end up with a few broken plates.

Australian research into ‘active perception’ could change this – and eventually see high-tech assistants installed in our homes.

The key lies in teaching robots to behave more like humans, said Doug Morrison, PhD researcher at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision (ACRV).

“You can have a robot doing the same thing over and over very quickly, but as
Australian Pharmacist •

A sporting approach to pharmacy

For former athletics star Emily Shears MPS, combining sport and pharmacy set her on track to help other female athletes reach peak performance.

What led you to pharmacy?

I fell into it. I commenced my tertiary education with medical science, and after completing the first year, I knew I needed a change. I chose a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney and was offered a sports scholarship. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Could you describe your career path?

In a word: atyp
HRM online •

Followership: why you need to cultivate this skill in your teams

Tell someone you aspire to be a good follower and you’ll likely get a confused look. But as two experts explain, followership within organisations is a vital – if misunderstood – role.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, followership probably conjures up visions of ‘yes’ people – unambitious worker bees lacking original thought and blindly following whoever’s in charge.

This couldn’t be further from the truth, says Ruth Sims, a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia who is research

Aid and the Lucky Country | Megaphone Oz

In the wake of Julie Bishop’s ‘new aid paradigm’ announcement, and as we reach the end of the ‘age of entitlement’ and prepare for some heavy lifting, Ruth Cooper investigates the Abbott government’s approach to foreign aid.

From revolting students to pensioners turned sex line workers, it seems everyone has an opinion on the Coalition’s recent budget. But, as the debate focuses on $7 doctors visits and “earning or learning”, an entire group of people have been largely forgotten – the millions
Australian Pharmacist •

Improving your professional brand as a pharmacist

Now is the time to show your working self on social media.

It’s the holiday period and perhaps time to think about career moves. Are there some opportunities in your current role you could explore? What about developing your skills or building your professional networks? Social media can be the place to help drive your career.

As someone who ‘wears many hats’, the owner of TerryWhite Chemmart Arana Hills, in Queensland, Karen Brown MPS is passionate about the power of social media in building
HRM online •

Internal candidates rejected for promotion become a flight risk

Rejected internal candidates are twice as likely to quit compared to those who were hired or had not applied for a new job at all, according to research. What can HR do to reduce the flight risk?

In-house hiring makes a lot of sense. It can be quicker and cheaper than recruiting an external candidate, and you get a known quantity with an employee who is already familiar with the lay of the land, which slashes onboarding costs. Hiring internally also lets other employees know that progression is
HRM online •

Deal with your boss's ego by learning to 'manage up'

A lack of productivity, trust and engagement are just some of the negative effects that stem from having a boss with a big ego. Learning to ‘manage up’ can make things easier.

Type “My boss is…” into Google and the suggested searches are… interesting.

My boss is bullying me. My boss is gaslighting me. My boss is causing me anxiety. My boss is toxic. Perhaps this isn’t surprising – you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t had a less-than-ideal manager.

Take Jessica*, a high level execu
Australian Pharmacist •

Linda Badewitz-Dodd MPS is PSA's 2021 Pharmacist of the Year

From producing the world’s first comprehensive guide to drugs in sport to supporting her community through bushfires, and now the pandemic, Linda Badewitz-Dodd MPS is always willing to step up to the challenge.

A coal-face pharmacist who practices what she preaches. A pioneer. A community leader. These are just a few of the ways Ms Badewitz-Dodd’s peers describe her, and it’s easy to see why.

Her pharmacy in Merimbula on the New South Wales south coast, which she co-owns with business partner
Australian Pharmacist •

Aged care innovator is PSA's 2021 ECP of the Year

Just 3 years out of university, Maria Berbecaru MPS made history by implementing an Australian-first aged care pharmacy service. She hopes her experience will inspire others and help make embedding pharmacists in aged care the norm.

A 2016 graduate of the University of Tasmania, Maria Berbecaru credits two experiences during her intern year at Swansea Pharmacy, on Tasmania’s east coast, with igniting her interest in aged care.

The first was assisting nursing staff during medicine administratio
Create •

To celebrate World Engineering Day, we asked the children of engineers what their parents do

This 4 March, we mark World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, a UNESCO international celebration that highlights the achievements of engineers and the importance they have to play in building a liveable future.

But despite helping shape our lives, not everyone knows about the important work of engineers — not even their children.

We sat down with seven Engineers Australia members and their kids to find out what the children of engineers think they do. Hint: sending emails and talkin
Australian Pharmacist •

Highs and lows of life as a locum pharmacist

Travelling the country. Choosing your own hours. Meeting new people. These are just a few of the reasons pharmacists choose to quit their day job and hit the road as a locum.

For Janelle Dockray MPS, locumming was a way to see more of Australia. She was ‘feeling stuck’ after returning to work from maternity leave and decided to spend 6 months working and travelling with her husband.

‘We had a rough travel plan and I looked geographically for locum work that would fit in,’ she told Australian P
Create •

7 books that should be on every engineer's ‘to read’ list

We’re all spending more time confined to our houses at the moment, which makes diving into a good book a welcome escape.

If you’re after something new to sink your teeth into, take a look at these top picks for engineers.

Exactly: How precision engineers created the modern world by Simon Winchester

Throughout history, a single factor — precision — has been universally critical to driving advancement. So argues Winchester as he traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age throu
Australian Pharmacist •

Telehealth medication review tips

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, working as a consultant pharmacist in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) suddenly became a professional challenge for Melbourne’s Neil Petrie MPS.

As elderly people are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, restrictions have been placed on entry to many RACFs, making it harder to provide his tailored medicine management services around the state.

However, with pharmacists now able to deliver essential medicine reviews – including a Home M