Quality assured

Report: Neha Kale
Photography: Greg Ford

Charles Khallouf (BPharm 1976) has always believed that "pharmacy is not just about dispensing medicine". The Monash alumnus is the founder and CEO of the Quality Pharmacy Group, a pharmacy chain respected for its holistic approach to community health as well as its professional expertise.

The desire to 'give back' to the institution that nurtured this vision has inspired Charles' long-time involvement with Monash University's Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

"I'm a strong believer in contribution, so if you are a beneficiary to something you should also contribute back," Mr Khallouf (pictured right) said.

However, it is in his role as Chair of the Quality Pharmacy Consortium— a group of five leading pharmaceutical and healthcare firms including Quality Pharmacy Group, Willach+Heise, Rose Health, Genepharm, and Abbott Diabetes Care — that Charles has arguably made his most valuable contribution to the University thus far.

The consortium is the flagship supporter of Excellence in Pharmacy Education, a Monash University initiative to transform education for the next generation of pharmacy students.

Based on a highly-innovative model of pharmacy, the initiative includes Virtual Practice Environments and a cutting-edge learning resource called Pharmatopia, which helps foster skills critical to the profession through a virtual tabletting laboratory and interactive learning experiences.

As a natural innovator, Charles' connection with the program was instant.

"I was quite wowed by what I saw — so much so that it drove me to get this consortium together and get involved. I felt the old traditional way of education was not working. What I've seen here at Monash is life-changing," he said.

Mr Khallouf brought the consortium together and asked them to consider the Excellence in Pharmacy Education initiative.

"Without hesitation they were ready to sign on and support the whole program. They really have seen the vision and are prepared to invest in the future," he said.

For Charles, supporting the pharmacy program at Monash is key to building a clear path for future pharmacists. It is part of his vision for the profession.

"The people at Monash University believe in what they're doing and they believe in excellence. You 'stand on the shoulders of giants'. I've known a lot of the faculty here for 30 years plus — since I was a student — and we all stand on each other's shoulders so we can see further out.

"That's the enjoyable thing about working with Monash — the passion of the people here, their belief, and the desire to make it work," he said.