Rate My Professor Chris Piggott

Chris Piggott holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Practice within the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at the University of Newcastle, part of the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. Renowned as a community pharmacist in Newcastle for more than five decades, he was a proprietor of Piggott's Pharmacy Lambton, playing a pivotal role in local health services. Serving as the former president of the Newcastle & Hunter Valley Pharmacists Association (NHVPA), he forged a partnership with the University of Newcastle in 2006 to create the UON Pharmacy Fund. This fund has disbursed over ten scholarships and prizes, fostering pharmacy education and research. Notable awards include the Master of Pharmacy Scholarship, first awarded to Olivia Thornton; the Duncan Cruickshank Memorial PhD Scholarship in Pharmacy; the Duncan Cruickshank Shaping Futures Scholarship in Pharmacy for undergraduate students; and the Professor Shane Scott Memorial Award for Excellence.

Following the death of fellow pharmacist Duncan Cruickshank in 2015, who managed Newcastle’s after-hours chemist and taught at the Mater Hospital, Piggott collaborated with peers to institute scholarships in his name to aid disadvantaged students and pharmacy research advancement. Piggott remarked, “The scholarships are a perfect way to honour Duncan’s memory, as he was passionate about the progression of pharmacy, and the field being one of diversity and equity of access.” His involvement in education encompasses lecturing, supervision of student research as Conjoint Professor in earlier appointments, and organizing visits to his pharmacy for University students to gain hands-on experience in community pharmacy operations. For his lifelong dedication, Piggott was honored with the NSW Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (NSW Branch) in 2015. In 2025, he earned Life Membership from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (NSW Branch), celebrating 50 years as a pharmacist and 56 years of membership in the Guild. Piggott’s initiatives have significantly enhanced collaboration between the pharmacy industry and academia, supporting the training and retention of pharmacists in the Hunter region.