ULSTER CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION IN FOCUS


President's welcome I


n january of this year, the UCA called on the Department of health to decriminalise dispensing errors.


The call was made in light of a pharmacist making a dispensing error, which lead to the death of a patient. The subsequent criminal trial brought the issue of dispensing errors and criminality to the fore. The PSNI have finished their stat com and judgement passed in a manner which takes into account the move to decriminalise errors. we still await any movement from Stormont or london governments on the issue. It has gone very quiet on this issue, yet every day we practise pharmacy we are faced with the real threat of committing a criminal offence. All pharmacists have a duty to keep the pressure on the department. UCA will continue to lobby at every opportunity to change the law!


I am continuing discussions with the Department and the health and Social Care Board about the pressing need


for security improvements in community pharmacy. whilst the current ‘zero tolerance’ campaign is very welcome in bringing pharmacy into line with other healthcare professionals, we need to be very aware that the message is not given a negative implication. It is our accessibility that sets us apart from other healthcare professionals and we do not want to lose that special interaction we have with our patients. So we will continue to offer help to the health Board to deliver practical and effective solutions to the very real and increasing problem of verbal and physical violence in pharmacy. with this in mind, the UCA will be launching an incident line and we encourage you to report all incidents on a weekly basis. Only by reporting every incident can we make the Board realise that funds need to be made available immediately to help pharmacy continue to provide the first class service it does today. more details will follow at the launch. It


goes without saying though, that we encourage you to also report all incidents to the police on telephone line 101, no matter how trivial you may deem them.


The current workforce shortages in pharmacy continue to cause problems for many pharmacists, especially as we hit Christmas. The group set up by the Department and Board are looking at the long-term requirements for the provision of pharmaceutical services, but there is no urgency to help with the immediate problem: a problem which has been brought about by the appointment of practice-based pharmacists, which the Department of health is still keen to expand at a very fast rate. The appointment of this group has always been welcomed by the UCA and I have seen at first hand how synergistic the relationship can be between PBP and their community counterparts. The strain on the community pharmacy network is, however, plain to see at a time when many other financial pressures are already hitting hard. Underfunded, overstressed, unable to get time off, it’s a very real problem for us all.


PROMOTING AND PROTECTING COMMUNITY & PRIMARY CARE PHARMACY IN NORTHERN IRELAND


his however, does not excuse some locum agencies of grossly undermining our profession. Pharmacies and locum agencies offering £120 per day - a ludicrously insufficient fee for a responsible pharmacist - undermines our whole profession.


The UCA has always published a guideline for locum rates and we will continue to put a realistic value on the expertise of the pharmacist. we are worth so much more financially. That is something that the Department should also take note of. Pharmacists take on huge responsibility and provide a first-class service - with the potential to do so much more. Stop cutting our financial package and self esteem and allow us to deliver what we were trained to do.


ClIff mCElhINNEy, PRESIDENT, UlSTER ChEmISTS' ASSOCIATION


REPRESENTATION PhARmACIST’S DIARy by mairead Conlon


As our three-year charity partnership with AgeNI is drawing to its conclusion, we wanted to collaborate with some of our members and some of the older people who regularly access their community pharmacies. we know you work continuously on behalf of our older population and we wanted to take the opportunity to capture this on camera. There are clearly some natural acting skills in our pharmacists!! look out for this coming through on our social media in the near future.


how are you getting on with social media? Perhaps - for some of you - it may be very easy to come up with content for your posts but, if you are finding it difficult, please have a look at the UCA’s Twitter (@ucatweets) and facebook (Ulster Chemists’ Association) pages.


Tel: 028 9065 6576 www.uca.org.uk


PhARmACy IN fOCUS - 27


There are a number of health campaigns coming up over the winter months and we are posting continuously, so we would encourage our members to share the information we publicise. Did you see our messages on ‘Stoptober’? well, thousands of people have viewed these posts!! As a benefit of membership, we are pleased to publicise and share your posts, whether you are fundraising for charity, signposting to local groups or activities or sending out a health-related messages. just let us know and we will help deliver your message to a wider and larger audience.


I am continually answering questions on the availability of prereg students for next year and beyond. I am very aware of the shift in the recruitment landscape over the last few years and the difficulty, especially in rural areas, of securing a


placement student. I also know that in NI we have a huge number of excellent tutors all across the country.


I am looking forward to working with both qUB and UU and speaking with the third-year students in the coming weeks about the range of options available for prereg placement. I aim to encourage students to take time to make their decision on where they will spend their year. I will encourage them to meet tutors and talk with current preregs about their experiences and ultimately choose a placement that will offer them the very best training year.


At these presentations I will distribute packs detailing all shops willing to offer a prereg placement for 2019/20. These packs are also distributed electronically to every School of Pharmacy across the Uk to encourage students to return


home after their studies. Our office team will be in touch with every business across Northern Ireland, so make sure your name is included.


my role is shaped by the needs of our members so, if you need me, please do not hesitate to get in contact and I will endeavour to help! Contact the UCA office on 028 9065 6576 or email mairead@uca.org.uk


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