Sparked Bright Sparks: Charlotte Howard

We spoke to Charlotte about her involvement in the Sparked Community, here’s what she had to say!

❓What is your background?

I am a registered pharmacist currently working within Dispense Works, a pharmacy dispensing software company, where I contribute my clinical expertise to support product development and user experience. In addition, I continue to practice as a locum pharmacist in community pharmacy on weekends, which allows me to stay connected with patient care and maintain a strong understanding of current pharmacy operations. 

❓ How did you first hear about Sparked and what made you want to become involved?

In 2024, I was introduced to Sparked through the MSIA (Medical Software Industry Association). Since my first connectathon and community co-design workshops, I have been hooked!  

❓ What do you see as the best outcomes that Sparked has delivered or is working towards?

Sparked has successfully brought together health professionals, government bodies, software developers, and consumers with a shared goal of improving healthcare delivery across Australia. The collaboration and alignment across these diverse groups has led to impactful changes in digital health.

❓ How is Sparked different to projects you’ve been involved in before?

Sparked actively seeks feedback from their clinical design groups and relays this back to their technical design group, ensuring all parties are involved in the expected workflow. The work from the meetings, co-design days and focus groups are published and utilised to provide meaningful contributions in current digital health initiatives and other digital health projects. In meetings/forums outside of Sparked I can see the work I have contributed to being utilised by other working groups positively influencing national digital health standards.   

❓ What is something you’ve learnt from being part of the Sparked community?

While I’ve always understood the importance of ensuring digital health solutions reflect real-world clinical workflows, being part of Sparked has deepened that appreciation. It’s shown me just how many diverse and complex workflows exist across different care settings, and how essential it is to involve a wide range of people to represent them.  

❓ Can you share one of your favourite or memorable moments from participating in Sparked?

One of my most memorable moments was in February 2025 at the co-design workshops in Adelaide. I had the opportunity to present Dispense Works and demonstrate the community pharmacy dispensing workflow alongside other fantastic product showcases. It was inspiring to see the level of engagement and collaboration across different sectors. It was also nice to bring community pharmacy into the spotlight and highlight the importance of being able to provide information back to primary care.

❓ What excites you most about the future with Sparked?

I’m most excited about the potential to enable the sharing and receiving of health information across settings that have traditionally been disconnected.

❓ What’s something unexpected that you’ve learnt/been a part of/connected with through Sparked?

Sparked has connected me with a wide range of health professionals and stakeholders that I may not have had the opportunity to engage with otherwise. It’s been incredibly valuable to gain insight into different parts of the healthcare system and to collaborate with people outside of my usual networks.

❓ How would you explain Sparked to someone not yet involved?

The Sparked community is a collection of Government, Software Industry, Clinicians and Consumers who share a common goal of better healthcare. It’s a space where diverse perspectives come together to co-design, test, and implement solutions that drive real change in Australia’s health system.

❓ What piece of advice would you share to someone who may not yet be a part of Sparked?

It might feel overwhelming at first, especially with the range of stakeholders and technical concepts involved – but don’t let that hold you back. Throw yourself in, your voice matters and get involved.

❓ If you had to describe Sparked in three words, what would they be?

Impactful, momentous, fun

❓ If Sparked had a theme song, what would it be?

The Spark (Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew song)

❓ Describe Sparked using only emojis

✨💫🧐 🤩🔥