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Are we the forgotten profession?


Well as we are coming to the end of summer, I have had time to refl ect and collate the information gathered from the UCA’s Pharmacist Representation Group roadshows in June. Five events across the country inviting all pharmacists working in primary care to come out and let us know how we can work on your behalf to contribute to how our profession is shaped for the future.


Education/ Training - Feedback was extremely positive on the “Boost your Professional Profi le” seminars. The UCA have listened and a training schedule is being fi nalised to include exactly those topics you want further training on, including “Managing diffi cult situations” and “Business Skills”, amongst others.


Services - Oh how much better life would be for all in community pharmacy if we have access to the ECR! This will be a recurring theme in our work going forward. We will be involved with our ideas and input into making this happen in Northern Ireland.


Looking to the future, we know the Federations are getting up and running. This has to be something we are involved in from the outset. We feel very strongly that by building good relationships with the new Federation Pharmacists, we can increase collaboration with our GP practices and ideally community pharmacists should be present at the monthly training session within the surgeries. We need to show our colleagues what we are able to do, so they see our worth. We want to help make Pharmacy more inclusive within the Primary Care system.


We need to improve the profi le of the Community Pharmacist. We want to make the public more aware of our role.


We want to challenge the lack of progression within our profession and voice the opinions of the employee pharmacist.


After attending the NICON Conference in June, it was abundantly clear that Community Pharmacy was not even consulted in the writing of the Bengoa report, nor was it mentioned within the two days of the event. Which begs the question: 'Are we the forgotten profession?'


Let’s do something together to change this.


Communication is key to what we want to achieve. I want to ensure that all NI Pharmacists have the opportunity to receive all relevant information in a timely fashion. So by having your name on our database, you will join a growing number of pharmacists keen to be kept within our communication platform and have an avenue to contribute to shaping the future of our profession for the future.


Let me know your thoughts and opinions and how we can work on your behalf.


For more information contact mairead@uca.org.uk Be part of it


The Ulster Chemists’ Association’s Pharmacy Management and Leadership Programme


Gain a Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management


BENEFITS TO YOU • Use core management techniques to drive better results • Develop your own ability to lead, motivate and inspire • Complete your annual CPD requirements • Provide you with strategic leadership, decision making and problem solving techniques


• Benchmark your own managerial skills • Raise your profile within your organisation • Become professionally accredited through the Institute of Leadership and Management


BENEFITS TO YOUR EMPLOYER/PHARMACY • Help to foster business improvement • Encourage strategic thinking for business development • Increase ability to resolve problems and issues • Benchmark your own organisational standards against others • Develop your staff team


The programme will cover the following six key areas during six one day training sessions:


• Leadership and management of staff and processes • Financial management throughout the year • Managing your environment and promoting change • Managing resources, governance within the pharmacy and designing SOP’s


• Managing information and evaluating business success • Developing services and managing customer relations


Support provided from the course facilitators Paul Murray and Ashley Boreland.


For additional information, joining the programme and costs please contact Adrienne Clugston: adrienne@uca.org.uk


028 9065 6576 PHARMACY IN FOCUS - 33


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