Vale Valerie Constable | 25 October 2023
| Val Constable was one of the founding directors of the National Asthma Council Australia (NAC), serving from 1990 to 1996. She was present at the 1990 launch of the National Asthma Campaign (as the NAC was then called) and Asthma Management Plan (Australian Asthma Handbook). As the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia representative on the Board and a dedicated community pharmacist, Val provided wise counsel on asthma information needed by pharmacists and patients. In 1991, the Pharmacists Asthma Management Plan was launched. Consultation with pharmacists led by Val, indicated their wish for tailored asthma treatment guidelines. |  |
After a couple of editions, on Val’s advice, this was discontinued as pharmacist involvement on the Guidelines Committee ensured that one set of guidelines could meet primary care needs. Val’s involvement also led to the early NAC’s involvement in major pharmacy conferences and courses. As asthma was such a significant problem in the early 1990s, pharmacists were extremely interested in asthma information and education.
Val’s quiet wisdom, practical experience, dedication to patients and extensive knowledge of the pharmacy world was of enormous benefit to the emerging NAC. Her greatest contribution to the early NAC was to firmly establish the role of the pharmacist in asthma management. Consultation with pharmacists is still an integral part of the NAC’s ethos.
Kristine Whorlow AM
