PARTNERSHIP


Dunluce Family Centre and Bradley’s Pharmacy


the Springtown area of Derry has high levels of drug and alcohol abuse. for their level 1 bcpp project, bradley’s pharmacy partnered up with Dunluce family centre to work with a core group of thirteen men and women.


the project began with a ‘meet and greet’ session with participants and identified what people wanted to hear more about. this then determined how the programme was structured. the project, which took place over six sessions, explored a range of health issues that included over the counter drug misuse, self-esteem and drug and alcohol use/misuse.


‘bcpp is an invaluable resource to help empower community-led health promotion. the approach is a proven mechanism to deliver localised improvements in health outcomes. We are delighted to be involved with the programme.”


michael had previously done work with a group of people living with parkinson’s and had been asked by fionnuala to speak to the group regarding their medication.


‘I found this group to be totally inspiring,’ michael told pif, ‘not only in terms of the wider impact, but in the hope that this group would become ambassadors for patients in the wider community - particularly newly- diagnosed patients. When people are diagnosed with parkinson’s, they need support and help, not just in terms of healthcare, but also in terms of the practicalities of life. for that reason, it’s vital that people have a support network.


‘our bcpp project, which will begin at the end of September, will feature twelve sessions run over the next 18 months and will not only include talks by myself, but also by mental health charities and by organisations such as the citizens advice bureau. We’ll be covering any issues that impact on the lives of people living with parkinson’s. as the first port of call for healthcare, the pharmacy is central to that.’


although this was the main focus, they also covered pharmacy services, heart health, prescription and otc medication, stress, depression and self esteem. together, they linked up with Drink think, aware Defeat Depression and lifestart to enhance the learning for everyone involved. the approach used was informal and included games, quizzes, one-to- ones, health checks and discussions


A happy group of BCPP


participants from Dunluce Family Centre!


to really get the chat going and help people to feel comfortable and relaxed.


the group thoroughly enjoyed the programme and participants formed great relationships both with each other and with the pharmacist. as a result of the project, they are all now more aware of the services that are available to them and are more likely to turn to their pharmacist first.


pharmacist, Emma Devenney, feels that the bcpp project provided a


great opportunity for the pharmacy to get into the community and work closely with local people.


‘It was so rewarding to see the change in the participants over the six weeks,’ she told pif. ‘they really opened up and shared personal experiences and the positive feedback from them was an added bonus. people were sad at the end of the programme and we wished that it could have lasted longer as there were so many issues that we wanted to focus on.’


Lisburn YMCA and Boots Pharmacy


trying something new can be daunting, but the benefits you may gain can make the risk worthwhile. this certainly was the case for pharmacist Eamon o’Donnell when he partnered with lisburn Ymca as part of a level 3 bcpp project.


Eamon admits that he initially felt a mixture of excitement and slight apprehension as he was unsure of what to expect from the collaboration.


‘I had only just qualified the year before,’ he told pif, ‘and my experience of working with groups within the Ymca remit which included at-risk young people and adults was limited. however a year on, I have to say it was an amazing experience, both on a professional and personal level.’


lisburn Ymca was established in 1988 to work with an at-risk target


group of marginalised young people and adults. they provide training and educational programmes, alcohol and drug awareness, family support and a range of youth activities for various groups. their bcpp project had four core groups - a group with learning disabilities, a women’s group, a volunteers group and a young people’s group.


Eamon feels that the outcome of the partnership has been very positive for both those who took part and for himself.


‘I definitely feel that I have a better knowledge of vulnerable groups in our community,’ he continued. ‘I’m now in a position to empathise and understand some of the barriers to healthcare which exist, such as lack of understanding and mistrust of their medicines.’


A positive message promoted by Lisburn YMCA.


‘this project has enabled us to create a deeper relationship between members of our groups and the community pharmacist,’ said Sharon Dickson from lisburn Ymca. ‘In doing this, we have been able to better understand the healthcare needs of these vulnerable groups. We have highlighted the fact that the pharmacist can be an excellent provider of advice and services for people and as a result, health outcomes have improved.’


pharmacY In focUS - 13


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