PROFILE


As part of their recent strategy document, one of the priorities for the Ulster Chemists’ Association moving into 2016 has been a reinforced effort to enhance and improve on communication and support.


W


ith this in mind, Mairead Conlon has recently joined the team as Representation


Pharmacist with the aim of working with UCA members to better represent and support them.


This support might transpire in a number of ways such as in one-to-one support - Mairead recently has been writing training materials and SOPs for use in pharmacy – to representing and promoting community pharmacy at larger events.


“Because this is a totally new role, the beauty of it is that I can develop it in line with what our members are telling us,” she says.


Mairead began working in community pharmacy from a young age, 15 years- old to be precise, at Iain McKay’s Pharmacy in Magherafelt. It was here that she got the inspiration to move into pharmacy as a future profession.


Having attended University in Sunderland she returned to Northern Ireland to complete her pre- registration with McMullan’s Pharmacy on the Lisburn Road, Belfast. A period of being a locum followed, as did a year of travel and work with Unicare in Dublin.


“I moved back to Armagh after marriage and decided to do something different,” Mairead continues “I took up employment with Boots Pharmacy at the age of 28 and was seconded for a year to complete a teacher practitioner role at Queen’s University.


“A career-break for a number of years to look after two small children ensued but I did maintain my connections, working part-time as a CPD Assessor with the Pharmaceutical Society.”


Mairead, who has also been developing a role as an Addiction’s Counsellor, is ready to grasp the opportunity this new job role brings with both hands, and is looking forward to the challenge.


The UCA is currently developing a membership section for non- contractor pharmacists. This is being established by employee and locum pharmacists; new faces, new ideas, new strengths and new passions.


The new membership includes, Tim McClure, Ciaran Byrne, Madeeha


Malak, John Hamill, Sara Watson and Thomas Hughes who all represent a variation of backgrounds from across Northern Ireland.


Mairead explains further, “We have listened to pharmacists’ views and felt that now is the time to form a brand new and exciting membership.


“We appreciate that people are working in different environments and different situations under all sorts of pressures and expectations. We want to speak to each of them and find out how we can best serve their needs in terms of representation and support. We will be asking everyone, ‘How can we work on your behalf?’


For now, the UCA committee are asking everyone to get in touch with Mairead, supplying their contact details in order that the team can organise discussion events to obtain the wider views from all pharmacists.


“The more people willing to come forward and get involved will give us a stronger platform. From here we can gain momentum and work collaboratively to push forward the agenda for community pharmacy,” she adds.


Mairead’s latest role has been extremely varied to date she reflects, “One of the my first jobs has been to speak on behalf of local community pharmacy to third year students at both Queen’s University and the University of Ulster in Coleraine.


“I feel it is important to really emphasise to the future stars of the profession the benefits of choosing the pre-registration position that is best for them, whilst being able to offer advice and guidance as they move forward in their careers. Sound support is key for this stage of their professional path.


“I have also attended some UCA local meetings and, moving forward, hope to video these to use as webinars on our new website, giving our members even greater access to the issues discussed and to be used for education purposes.”


Carrying on with this thread of education, she has also been writing a series of power-point presentations, which can shared with members on topics such as cold and flu, smoking cessation and diabetes.


Mairead Conlon,


UCA Representation Pharmacist


“We are the frontline pharmacists, and are being asked to deliver services to our communities. We would love to be given more opportunities to show what we are capable of doing. We graduate from University with a wealth of clinical knowledge and at present we have very few outlets to use this”


For Mairead, key to establishing success with this new role will be an ability to communicate and engage.


“My long-term hope is to have an organisation that represents and supports all UCA members in Northern Ireland. My success will be in helping the organisation to improve the reach of their message and have ongoing, enhanced communications to members, potential members and stakeholders.


She continues, “We are the frontline pharmacists, and are being asked to deliver services to our communities. We would dearly love to be given more opportunities to show what we are capable of doing. We graduate from University with a wealth of clinical knowledge and at present we have very few outlets to use this.


“It is frustrating to us all that our skills are so under-utilised. It is a waste of


our talent and is leaving a growing number of pharmacists disillusioned as to where they are going in their work. Let's stand shoulder to shoulder with every pharmacist to drive our profession forward and make the future of pharmacy brighter for us all.


“Let us know how we can work together and be recognised as the representative voice for all primary care pharmacists in Northern Ireland,” she concludes.


Get in touch with Mairead if you are interested in shaping the future of pharmacy in Northern Ireland.


There is no fee to join, as the primary objective is to gather a database of members on which UCA can gauge interest and find out opinion about what exactly matters to you.


Contact her at: mairead@uca.org.uk n pharmacyinfocus.co.uk 27


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