Dr Martlie Mocke-Richter (39) has become only the fourth person in history to receive the South African Pharmacy Council’s National Pioneer Pharmacy Professional Award.

The Mbombela-born specialist also received the award in the Public Sector Institutional Pharmacist category at the Durban International Convention Centre on October 13, completing a double national recognition for her contribution to the profession and patient care.

“This double recognition is an exceptional honour and the fulfilment of a long-held dream. Above all, it is by God’s grace, and my heart is filled with gratitude to the Lord. I am grateful for my parents, Wouter and Sanita Mocke, for their unwavering support,” said Mocke-Richter.

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Focus on medicine safety

Her career focus combines clinical pharmacy, research and professional leadership in service of the safe, responsible and effective use of medicines, where she helped review regimens, optimise doses and identify medicine-related risks, underpinning her work in medicine safety and antimicrobial stewardship.

This approach became a strong sense of purpose for Mocke-Richter: Helping patients today while preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations.

She matriculated from Hoërskool Nelspruit in 2005, before completing her BPharm at North-West University in 2009 and her PhD in Clinical Pharmacology at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State in 2019.

She currently resides in Bloemfontein.

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