ULSTER CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION IN FOCUS
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME f
inally, it looks like the long hard winter is behind us and spring is in the air! for our current pre-registration students that can
mean only one thing…exam preparation! a few more weeks of study and experience and they can then concentrate on the next step of their pharmacy career. With that in mind, don’t forget to sign up to Uca’s locum online if you are considering locum work – contact us now to sign-up. good luck to all our Uca pre- registration students in the upcoming exam.
as the deadline for general data Protection regulation (gdPr) compliance approaches, it is imperative that contractors and nominated staff become gdPr aware. the new regulations will have implications for community pharmacy and the personal data we hold. compliance is mandatory from 25 May so, if you have not yet started to prepare for it, now is the time to do so. In the magazine this month you can find resources and articles which will guide you through the various aspects of gdPr that are most appropriate for you as a pharmacist. If you
have any queries at any time, don’t hesitate to
contact the Uca office. adrienne and the team will be delighted to help guide you through this process.
I have had many conversations this month about BSo monthly payments. the financial situation is dire, with many contractors reporting their lowest ever BSo payments in february 2018. So much of the pharmacy team’s time is now taken up sourcing basic medication through the various direct to pharmacy schemes and chasing generics in constant short supply. this situation does nothing to improve patient care and leads to constant frustration from patients and pharmacists. this is not what I trained for!
I recently attended the health Plus Pharmacy training. the idea of pharmacists and pharmacies delivering a consistent public health message and affecting behaviour and influencing health choices is fantastic, but we really do need to have a secure financial footing to achieve this and a suitable wholesale model which allows efficient supply.
the Uca Prescription Payment Support service is still available and subscription to it will at least give you peace of mind that you are being properly remunerated for the work you do. katie and dani will check your monthly submission for you, freeing you up to get on with the services your patients want. contact the Uca office for more details.
finally, the merger between Uca and cPnI continues to be negotiated. discussions are ongoing, and I am confident that we will reach our common goal very soon. the strong legacy of the Uca and the continued support it has given for over a century is something that we all value. this merger will provide a strength for community pharmacy that is very much needed right now!
PROMOTING AND PROTECTING COMMUNITY & PRIMARY CARE PHARMACY IN NORTHERN IRELAND tel: 028 9065 6576
www.uca.org.uk
CLIFF MCELHINNEY PRESIDENT ULSTER CHEMISTS' ASSOCIATION
REPRESENTATION PHARMACIST’S DIARY I
was delighted when the news came in to say that the Pact pharmacist team within the IMPact agewell Project in Mid and
East antrim have been shortlisted for the ‘Pharmacy team of the Year’ in the c & d awards in london in July!
the team involved includes six individual community pharmacists from across Ballymena, larne and carrickfergus, who work within the six multidisciplinary hubs and represent and signpost to all the community pharmacies in their area.
as the Pharmacist co-ordinator for the project, I am very proud that this innovative approach which involves community pharmacy at the heart of care for older people in the area has been recognised at the highest level!
another very welcome piece of news this month saw the legislation which decriminalises inadvertent dispensing errors coming into force.
there has been a huge amount of work from our forum colleagues that has helped to shape this legislation and, as a community pharmacist, I am relieved that we can now proceed towards a culture where we can share our learning from mistakes and improve patient care without the fear of prosecution.
looking ahead to June: If any preregistration student, who is not enrolled on the Uca training programme, wishes to sit our mock exam paper in May, please contact me directly. We may schedule another session since demand has been so high this year. My door is open to all prereg and undergraduate students (and tutors of course, so please contact me if you need any assistance.
as soon as your exam is over you will no doubt have a well-deserved rest but then you will start thinking about your career ahead. Uca has a free locum search tool called locum online – just contact natalie
Mulholland on 028 9065 6576 or email
support@uca.org.uk to sign up. Short-term locum work plus maternity cover and full- time posts are also advertised through locum online.
Make sure you follow us on facebook too as jobs are often posted on the Ulster chemists’ association page. Plus, we can offer help and advice on working as a locum, interviews and cV writing, to help you get started.
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
MAIREAD CONLON RERESENTATION PHARMACIST
PharMacY In focUS - 23
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