Over 20 years, Sobia Hashmi and husband Irfan have transformed healthcare in remote and rural communities in South Australia. They’ve established six pharmacies in areas where there were previously none – which forced people to travel long distances for basic medications and care.
Sobia and Irfan are committed to serving their diverse communities, and to this end employ staff who collectively speak 21 languages, allowing them to reach vulnerable populations and provide culturally sensitive healthcare.
They have mentored countless intern pharmacists from overseas, coordinating multilingual education and outreach initiatives to help pharmacists enter the much-needed workforce in regional Australia. Their free weekly webinar series has assisted 4,000 overseas pharmacists in passing their exams in the last 12 months alone.
Their pharmacy group has won various awards and recognition for its commitment to improving health literacy and access to healthcare services, including an SA Multicultural Governor’s Award in in 2022.