125th anniversary dinner

'Celebrating the past, building our future'

To officially mark the Victorian College of Pharmacy's 125th anniversary, a black tie event was held at the Savoy Ballroom, Grand Hyatt, on Saturday 8 April, 2006.

The evening went off with a bang, over 360 people attended the night at the Hyatt, dressed to the nines and ready to enjoy great friends and college memories.

Definitely the hit of the evening was the music provided by Big Band B Sharp, who swung the later part of the evening and quickly filled the dance floor with swirling couples.
 
Speakers Alistair Lloyd, Dean Professor Colin Chapman, the Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins and Daniel Andrews MP were warmly received as was the DVD that charted the college’s history. Guests were treated to the stunning voice of Helen Noonan, a graduate from the college and well known singer and performer. She composed a song for the evening which gave a fun twist to the daily grind of being a pharmacist (see the lyrics below). Her panache and versatility gave the evening a stunning beginning and set the mood for a really classy night.
 
Staff members past and present mingled with students, pharmacists, alumni and industry guests well into the wee hours. A display of pharmacy products memorabilia was prominent in the Savoy ballroom and remained a talking point over the evening, many pharmacists remembered the good old days and reacquainted with the college and what the future holds.

Helen Noonan's tribute to the pharmacy profession

On returning to Pharmacy after a long absence….with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan and thanks for the Alchemy ….

I am the very model of a modern pharmaceutical
I deal with patient counseling from cardiac to cuticle
I know about cough medicine from chesty cough to dry tickle
I offer sage advice to help the really badly sick feel well.

I try not to get stressed when the computer starts to complicate
And customers in queues accuse and moan that I prevaricate
And then the little shop girl texts to say that she is running late.
And then this jerk without a script demands that I dispense S8
And then this jerk without a script demands that I dispense S8
And then this jerk without a script demands that I dispense a DD DD DD DD DD DDDD

There’s cimetidine, famotidine, ranitidine for PUD
Amlodipine, felodipine, nifedipine, for high BP
A beta-blocker often tried is one that’s called atenolol
And if the drug rep’s been around the doc might try propranolol
I miss the  good ol’ days of simple Aldomet and Indocid
And “Senega ‘nAmmonia” for the coughs - for all the good it did
And labels Shake the Bottle, For External Use but not one child-proof lid

In 1970 when I graduated from College –
I realize with horror I was really only just a kid
I realize with horror I was really only just a kid
I realize with horror I was really only just a kid
I realize with horror I was really really only just a little kid

Bureaucracy and pharmacy will often be at loggerheads
When Can’bra dreams up Rules like 20 days for most repeats on meds
I wonder how some customers will cope when none get Safety Nets
I hope they wont run home and order all their drugs by internet
Still there’s Fosamax and Serepax and ear wax drops and Lipitor
And woops I’ll ring the College – cant remember what the heck thats for

BUT
Still in matters vitamin and mineral and medical
I am the very model of a modern pharmaceutical
And still in matters vitamin and mineral and medical
I am the very model of a modern pharmaceutical
But still in matters vitamin and mineral and medical
I am the very model of a modern pharmaceutical

- Helen Noonan 2006