PROFESSIONAL PROFILE


“WHAT CAME OUT OF THESE SESSIONS


WERE A RANGE OF VARYING POINTS BUT IT WAS VERY CLEAR VERY QUICKLY THAT EVERYONE WAS AGREED THAT WE – AS PHARMACY PROFESSIONALS - DON’T MARKET OURSELVES VERY WELL.“


welcome opportunity for pharmacists to discuss future plans for the new Pharmacist Representation Group, an associate of the UCA, which is designed to accommodate all primary care employee, locum and practice- based pharmacists.


‘This is a new membership,’ Mairead continued, ‘that represents the interests of our non-contractor pharmacists and mirrors similar memberships, which are already in existence in Scotland, Wales, England and the Republic of Ireland. In these organisations employee, locum and practice-based pharmacists work very much in collaboration with contractor pharmacists to improve the pharmacy profession for the good of the region, so it was vitally important for Northern Ireland to benefit from a similar scheme.


‘For that reason, we used the events in June as information gathering sessions and they were definitely very useful for all concerned.


‘At each event we gathered together in workshop format, with each table working on different assigned subjects. Each group had to discuss issues such as ‘what do you want from a representation group?’ and ‘what is your vision for the future of pharmacy in Northern Ireland?’


‘What came out of these sessions were a range of varying points but it was very clear very quickly that everyone was agreed that we – as pharmacy professionals - don’t market ourselves very well. While everybody was very positive and very excited about forming a new group to bridge the gap between employees and pharmacy contractors, it was very clear that everyone felt that while we’re very good at what we do, we need to let other healthcare professionals know. There have been numerous campaigns dedicated to letting the public know about what pharmacists can do, but few about letting other healthcare professionals know. As a result, our skills are not being utilised and our knowledge is dissipating. Over the course of our careers, our clinical expertise is, sadly, being eroded.


‘The perception of pharmacy by GPs and other stakeholders is simply not good and it’s vitally important that


we market ourselves to them. At the events it was immediately clear that our pharmacists are very positive about what we have to offer and we now have to channel that positivity to tell others about what we can offer. It’s a big hurdle but it’s one that we can surmount with a lot of hard work and enthusiasm.


‘The Pharmacy Representation Group is a very proactive and positive move in creating more collaboration between pharmacy contractors and employees to improve the perception of pharmacists as the first port of call for healthcare. It’s not about representing disgruntled pharmacists and we made it very clear that we’re not a union. We’re looking for more ideas about the way forward and would be delighted to hear from any pharmacists who would be interested in getting involved with this group in the future.’


JOHN HAMILL UNA O’FARRELL


I attended the event a few weeks ago in the Dunsilly Hotel and gained some useful pointers. It’s worth noting that the professional skills covered are tailored to the diverse range of roles that a career in pharmacy offers. Also, the ensuing discussion on the future of pharmacy and the remit of a new body was a great chance to have your point of view heard…it was well worth taking the time to attend.


JANE SWAIL


I think there’s increasing despondency about the way things are going in community pharmacy. All we hear is that negotiations etc are at a ‘critical’ or ‘delicate’ stage, but nothing seems to be happening. There is, however, a lot of great work that’s being done by community pharmacists to show the value of the services that we can provide. This work should be flourishing but we also need to ensure that pharmacy managers also have a voice. ‘Boost Your Professional Profile’ offered everybody the opportunity to develop their skills with regard to issues such as leadership and interviewing, and there’s no doubt that everybody ended up extremely motivated.


The ‘Boost Your Professional Profile’ roadshow was a well organised and informative event. Not only did Ashley Boreland from PCM Associates give some valuable advice on interview skills (helpful for any pharmacist applying for the upcoming practice-based posts), it was also an opportunity for pharmacists to voice their opinion on how they think our profession is performing, on how we are perceived by patients, GPs and other healthcare professionals and, perhaps most importantly, on their vision for the profession’s future. I found it very interesting to chat to pharmacists working in different community settings and to hear their concerns as well as their achievements, for which there is not always the well-deserved recognition.


PHARMACY IN FOCUS - 19


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