Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
H.E.Fauzia Nasreen Felicitates Pharmacist Irfan Hashmi of South Australia
Dear Mr. Hashmi,
It is a pleasure to know about your achievements as a Pharmacist. While felicitating you on the award received by you for the year 2009 in Southern Australia, I wish you more successes in the future. Your family's collective effort in excelling in the services being provided by you has been acknowledged by the state authorities in a befitting manner. It is indeed a matter of pride for all of us.
I am copying this e-mail to Mr. Zafar Hussain of Sada-e-Watan Sydney. I am sure he will also project this happy news to other Australian Pakistanis through Sada-e-Watan.
Congratulations on behalf of the High Commission as well.
Regards,
Fauzia Nasreen
High Commissioner of Pakistan
Canberra Australia
South Australian Pharmacist of the Year 2009
(Rayford_Rahimi)
Mr Irfan
Hashmi has been awarded the 2009 Pharmacist of the Year in South Australia and
was presented with the award at an annual dinner hosted by the South Australia
branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia on Saturday 22 August 2009.
Both Mr Hashmi, and his wife Sobia, practised pharmacy in Pakistan before
migrating to Australia. They then completed the APC examination process and now
successfully operate four pharmacies in South Australia both in cities and rural
environments.
Mr Hashmi has since trained three APC candidates and now employs two full time
pharmacists who have also completed the APC process.
Mr Irfan Hashmi has been awarded the 2009 Pharmacist of the Year in South
Australia and was presented with the award at an annual dinner hosted by the
South Australia branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia on Saturday 22
August 2009. Both Mr Hashmi, and his wife Sobia, practised pharmacy in Pakistan
before migrating to Australia. They then completed the APC examination process
and now successfully operate four pharmacies in South Australia both in cities
and rural environments. Mr Hashmi has since trained three APC candidates and now
employs two full time pharmacists who have also completed the APC process.
Mr Hashmi spoke positively of the encouragement and support given to him during
the APC process by the APC members, Mr Peter Halstead and Mr Tim Gross, and also
spoke highly of the encouragement given to him in opening a pharmacy in a rural
environment in which there had been no previous pharmacy.
While it was sometimes difficult to study and travel long distances to work and,
at the same time settle in a new country with a young family, Mr and Mrs Hashmi
consider this period a great time in their life. They are both an inspiration to
other APC candidates undertaking the examination process.
Mr Hashmi is the first APC candidate to achieve the SA Pharmacist of the Year
award and the APC congratulates him and wishes both him and his wife every
success in the future.
Irfan Hashmi
Irfan Hashmi is living in Port Pirie South Australia. He is working as a
registered Pharmacist and his wife Sobia is also working as registered
pharmacist. They are managing their four pharmacy stores in different country
towns in South Australia 1- Orroroo Pharmacy, 2- Risdon Pharmacy in Port Pirie,
3-Coober Pedy Pharmacy and 4-Quorn Pharmacy. They have young family having 2
boys and 1 girl. Arham is 9 years old, Aahsan is 8 years old and daughter Aiza
is 1.5 years old.
I like to inform you that last year August 2009. I won "South Australia
Pharmacist of the Year 2009" award. It is a great Honour for me, my family and
staff at pharmacy. Can be a moment to cheer in Pakistani community living in
Australia. I found this as an opportunity to formally inform Sada-e-Watan.
We won our second award in November 2009. Our business Risdon Pharmacy in Port Pirie won “ SA Great Small Business Award 2009” for the region of Mid North and York Peninsula.
I completed B.Pharmacy from University of Karachi in Dec 1997. In Karachi worked for multinational pharmaceutical SCHERING AG GmbH till 1999- 2003, MBA degree in 2001, moved to Australia in Jan 2003. We passed Australian pharmacy exams (APEC part 1 & 2 and one year training) in 2003- 2004. We got jobs a pharmacist till we start first business in 2007. We started all our stores from scratch.
I have attached media coverage about our awards. Example local newspapers, pharmacist journals and newsletters. Australian Pharmacy Council APEC put my profile on their main webpage as role model for young & new pharmacist.
Pakistani Australian Association of South Australia Incorporated (PAASA) also uplaod my award news on their website http://www.paasa.org.au/achievements.php
Australian local radio such as SBS radio Urdu service Yasmin Sayed interviewed, local ABC radio and local TV southern cross took my interview.
I have uploaded this TV news and award video on www.youtube.com,type “Irfan Hashmi pharmacist” in youtube search box and you can watch it.
