NPA
NatIONal PhaRmacy aSSOcIatION (NPa) chaIRmaN, IaN StRachaN, PayS tRIBUtE tO NORthERN IRElaNd'S cOmmUNIty PhaRmacIStS
‘yOU dON’t kNOw hOw gOOd yOU aRE!’
I
an Strachan took time out during his recent trip to Northern Ireland for the NPa conference to pay
tribute to the province's community pharmacists for their 'can do' attitude - particularly in light of the fact that they are working without an up-to- date contract.
'what amazes me,' Ian told Pif, 'is that NI pharmacists provide a wide range of patient-facing services despite the fact that no formal conditions or services have been laid out for them as, for example, they have been in Scotland.
'during this and my previous visits to the province, I never cease to be amazed at how proactive and patient facing NI pharmacists are - both in their own pharmacies and in their local communities.
'I've been to NI quite a few times, but this has, I think, been the most positive visit I've experienced yet, particularly in terms of the feedback that I've been getting from pharmacists.
PhaRmacIStS' INVEStmENt 'I've been particularly struck during this visit on the number of new
28 - PhaRmacy IN fOcUS
buildings and new businesses that seem to be springing up here. despite the difficulties that pharmacy continues to experience as a profession - especially in terms of funding - people still seem to be investing in pharmacies and it's great to see the new commerce that's emerging.
‘contractors are also very commercially aware and I can see that clearly from the type of issues that they're asking me about. Pharmacists here seem to embrace any kind of service that's available through pharmacy, and the level of diversity is very impressive. they're also investing in technology such as robots, which are, let's face it, a big financial investment and yet they're taking on this commitment despite the fact that there's still no formal contract in place here. that level of dedication and commitment to the profession is to be both congratulated and welcomed.
'Not a stone's throw from here, for example, you have a great example of a pharmacist who has taken pharmacy into the community. colin harrison from harrison healthcare has
not only embraced the local chinese community (and has employed a chinese pharmacist to make communication lines easier), but has engaged in both BcPP projects and in his own initiatives such as his smoking cessation programme, which he physically takes into the chinese community.
'colin is a very experienced pharmacist, who is totally patient facing. he has invested in premises, in services and in staff. Everybody in the pharmacy seems motivated and driven and it's a brilliant example of a pharmacy which shows the values of the profession. It's also an example that I've seen replicated here many times.
‘take the conference last night, for example. after a full working day, pharmacists travelled from across the Province to spend time with their peers and fellow professionals. It was all about sharing experiences and spending quality time.
‘the commitment to the quality assurance framework is one example that tells you a lot about the way they're driven and again, considering the fact that there has
not been an updated contract, the pharmacists here are driving the profession themselves.
'It will be interesting to see what the cost of services enquiry comes up with, and it will be equally interesting to see what the health minister's interpretation will be.
'I know that the question of closing 100 pharmacies was raised by a previous health minister and certainly the NPa has looked at the issue of clustering and whether there are too many pharmacies in one place.
‘what our evidence has shown, however, is that clustering will always occur in the most deprived areas and yet these are the areas which are most in need of healthcare, so it's an issue that needs looked at very carefully.
'I don't think that this health minister is interested in closing pharmacies. I know that she has a particular focus on rural outlets, so I hope that she will pay special attention to the rural pharmacies, which play such an important part in community life, particularly those in remote areas.'
Ian Strachan, chairman, National Pharmacy association
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