Best care for Aboriginal people in SA Pharmacy

SA Pharmacy is committed to driving system level reform to Close the Gap in health inequity for Aboriginal people.

To support this, SA Pharmacy has developed its inaugural Aboriginal Health Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027+ which provides clear vision of Best care for Aboriginal people accessing SA Pharmacy services through Quality Use of Medicines.

Read more about the Aboriginal Health Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027 + (PDF 2.71MB).

SA Pharmacy Artwork

Artwork by Jordan Lovegrove (Ngarrindjeri)

This artwork depicts SA Pharmacy’s relationship with South Australian hospitals, the many Out-of-Hospital based services we provide and our commitment to supporting improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. SA Pharmacy is represented by the large central meeting place and the South Australian metropolitan and rural public hospitals by the smaller meeting places.

We provide clinically led, cost efficient, professional pharmacy services to the hospitals, shown by the pathways leading between them. The pathways going beyond the hospitals represent our range of Out-of-Hospital based services through Drug and Alcohol Services SA, SA Ambulance Services and SA Prison Health Service. Our commitment to improving access to medicines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, is shown by the dotted patterns throughout the artwork.


Artwork by Caitlyn Davies-Plummer

This artwork was created by SA Pharmacy staff on Kaurna Country at Tauondi Aboriginal College with Barkindji artist Caitlyn Davies-Plummer from @dustinkoaart. It reflects SA Pharmacy’s ongoing reconciliation journey.

At the core of the painting is a child representing patients. The patients vary in colour and size to reflect the diversity of the population who access our services. A circle of protection surrounds the patients with frontline-facing SA Pharmacy staff supporting patients on their health and wellbeing journey. The final circle represents support from the broader SA Pharmacy team.

Ten campsites representing the 10 Local Health Networks are connected by a journey line and the further 20 campsites symbolise the 20 sites SA Pharmacy currently works across.

The lilac journey line represents movement towards a shared future, where two people sit side by side - symbolising the goal of reconciliation and walking with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards a shared future.


See the SA Pharmacy Artwork explanation document (PDF 8MB) for more information. 

SA Health Closing the Gap Medicines Access Program

SA Pharmacy is committed to Closing the Gap on health outcomes for Aboriginal people and helps Aboriginal people with the cost of medicines when being discharged from hospital or attending an outpatient clinic at SA public hospitals through the SA Health Closing the Gap Medicines Access Program.

In 2021, SA Pharmacy won the SA Health Award – Excellence and Innovation in Aboriginal Health for the SA Health Closing the Gap Medicines Access Program.

See Closing the Gap Medicines Access Program for more information. 

SA Pharmacy Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan

SA Pharmacy has developed an Innovate Reconciliation Action (RAP) (PDF 4MB) that is available.  This RAP provides a framework to support all pillars of our SA Pharmacy Aboriginal Health Strategic Plan and our continued focus on reconciliation. 

Our RAP journey (PDF 595 KB) so far can be found here.

The SA Pharmacy RAP Annual Report 2024 (PDF 3MB) captures key milestones and progress we have made and is available here.

Beyond the Gap (BtG) Program

The Beyond the Gap Program is part of a larger investment in Aboriginal Health which has a vision of Continuity in Medicines Management (CMM) for all Aboriginal people.  CMM is the ongoing coordination that supports the safety and quality of medicines management over time, within and between settings, medicine access schemes and healthcare providers.  The Program is focusing on how the health system can be held accountable to increasing CMM coverage and quality for all Aboriginal people.  SA Pharmacy aims to co-design and implement a CMM Strategy across SA Health systems in 2025-2027. 

See the SA Pharmacy Beyond the Gap Program Infographic (PDF 552KB).

Acknowledgement of Country

SA Pharmacy acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, waters and community. We recognise the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ vast knowledge in native plants and their uses, and that Culture and Country provide medicines and healing. They were our first pharmacists. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal people today.

Supporting Your Medicines Journey

Further information

For more information, please call SA Pharmacy (08) 8226 7114 or email HealthSAPharmacy@sa.gov.au.