A newly commissioned pharmacy centre is poised to accelerate breast cancer research in Australia.

The University of Queensland today unveiled its new Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence in Woolloongabba which will also use a robot to dispense medicines.

Rebecca Belsham reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The ultra-modern centre, known as PACE, was officially opened today by Deputy Premier, Paul Lucas.

Paul Lucas, Deputy Premier: “This is about getting cutting edge science, cutting edge drugs to make society healthier and living longer.”

The $1-million facility is now home to more than 1,000 students and staff.

The move to the new high-tech facility will give researchers access to multi-million dollar equipment including an imaging system which can show the actual movement of cancer cells over time.

Professor Nick Shaw, UQ Head of Pharmacy: “The future of pharmacy is going to be very much about the expertise in medicine and also their expertise in dealing with patients and being able to communicate their skills and knowledge to patients.”

The pharmacy centre holds the only dispensing robot in an Australian University.

The deputy premier again defended himself against accusations he was to blame over the under payment of thousands of hospital workers. Despite many payroll staff working 15 hour days he did not gaurantee the problem would be fixed in time for the next pay day.

Paul Lucas, Deputy Premier: “What we are doing is putting top resources in there to sorting the matter out.”

The LNP said they’ve warned the Government 19 times since last year about the looming payroll disaster but ministers failed to act.

Paul Lucas, Deputy Premier: “People signed off on the system and people were entitled to expect that if someone signed off on the new system being ready to go that it will pay people properly.”

Rebecca Belsham, QUT News