Congratulations, Dr Terry White!

AUSTRALIAN pharmacy legend Terry White was yesterday recognised by the University of Queensland, when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Pharmacy.

White made the occasional address to the 2017 graduating class, saying he recognised “how important a part my alma mater has played in my life, as first challenging my thinking as a student and setting me on a pathway to various careers”.

He told attendees of surmounting various challenges, both as a member of Parliament and leader of the Queensland Liberal Party and then, with his wife Rhonda and eldest son Anthony “in the challenge of taking two pharmacies through very difficult times for our family, to a small group of pharmacies in Queensland.

“From those early years we persisted in the face of significant adversity and succeeded in establishing the largest pharmacy franchise company in Australia which now services 500 pharmacies across the nation,” White said.

He also urged the graduating pharmacists to be bold.

“Many people sadly never achieve their dreams or even their potential because they are afraid to change, to make decisions, or lack the courage to persist,” White said.

The formal citation for White’s doctorate described him as an entrepreneurial pharmacist who has had far-reaching impact as a leader and innovator in business, community service, politics and health care delivery.

“Through the decades, Mr White has influenced the evolution of the community pharmacy sector and its increasingly sophisticated role in multi-disciplinary health care.”