Dr Helen Benson is an experienced consultant pharmacist who works as a lecturer in Pharmacy Practice and Therapeutics.

In 2021, she won the UTS Learning and Teaching Award for Individual Teaching.

“I like sharing my passion for my profession and I hope my students can see how rewarding it is,” Helen said.

“It’s a really valuable job – you make a real difference to people, and you contribute to society.”

Helen’s varied and exciting career has included working in hospital, military and community pharmacy including as a community pharmacy owner from 2010 until 2013.

Helen has a particular interest in medication review and improving quality use of medicines for patients and continues to practice as a consultant pharmacist.

Immediately before arriving at UTS in 2016 as part-time pharmacist teacher, she worked in medication review and improving quality use of medicines for patients.

She continues to practice as a consultant pharmacist and is also involved in several interdisciplinary teaching roles.

Helen teaches

• pharmacology to Master of Clinical Psychology Students in two subjects,

• as part of the Stroke Interprofessional Learning group and

• pharmacology and antimicrobial stewardship for nurse practitioners.

• Across 60 per cent of the UTS Masters of Pharmacy degree

In 2019, with staff from UTS Postgraduate Futures and the WentWest GP Pharmacist Education Program project team, Helen helped design and develop the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Pharmacy Practice which had its first intake of students in 2020.

“I started at UTS as a practitioner teacher and then discovered that I love teaching,” she said.

“Over the last six years, I have transitioned from a pharmacist teacher to an accomplished university educator with a passion for providing high quality authentic learning experiences for my students.

“I look forward to continuing to grow and improve in the years to come and can’t wait to see where the students I teach take their careers.”