YOUNG COMMUNITY PHARMACIST OF THE YEAR KURTIS MOFFATT
supported by
P.C.M. Associates Training and Consultancy Services
Locum pharmacist, Kurtis Moffatt and Paul Murray, PCM Associates
looking at kurtis Moffatt’s cV, the word that immediately springs to mind is ‘versatile’. rather than confining himself to dispensing or working in-store, kurtis has made the decision to combine three different elements of pharmacy and has done this so successfully that he has been awarded this year’s Young community Pharmacist of the Year accolade.
kurtis’ versatility began during his pre-registration year, when he took the lead in various projects, including implementing a plan to liaise with local gP surgeries and clinics in order to signpost patients with asthma/coPd or diabetes for a ‘pre- assessment’ MUr prior to requiring a full review by the nurse specialist. he also worked with gP surgery managers to not only educate and fully implement the pharmacy flu Pgd in order to lighten their vaccination burden, but also to increase awareness of the availability of the service provided in the community pharmacy setting.
kurtis also led a health promotion day held in Belfast city centre to raise awareness of the pharmacy profession, highlighting the services that it could provide, ranging from otc advice, to MUrs, to travel vaccinations. While store based, he led Macmillan charity events and worked as the Macmillan information pharmacist within the store in order to raise the awareness to both staff and patients about the work that Macmillan does, and about how to advise and signpost patients to this. By taking ‘bolder’ steps early on in his career, kurtis
32 - PharMacY In focUS
was able to develop his leadership skills, providing him with a well-rounded skill set.
Being elected as the first-year representative within the school of pharmacy post graduate committee for Phd students helped to develop kurtis’ skills further in communication issues, both personal and professional, in an effective manner between students and staff alike. In addition, working as a peer mentor within the Phd programme allowed him to develop consultation skills one on one with his allocated student: skills which were then transferrable to community pharmacy with patients. this platform also allowed him to provide numerous presentations about working as a community pharmacist to undergraduate students, and share experience in this format.
despite being a locum pharmacist and not based within one location, kurtis always took the chance at any opportunity to help either dispensing staff or patients with knowledge he had gained over the years - where appropriate - in order to achieve the best results. this has been gained by experiencing what works in community and what doesn’t, and being able to apply this to the patient and store at hand. kurtis believes that this knowledge only comes from experiencing different aspects of the pharmacy profession, which he has been lucky enough to do so through practice-based pharmacy, journalistic research and also scientific lab research.
kurtis always makes the utmost effort when placed in any community situation to tailor his practice to the store in which he is working, particularly in
getting the most out of his staff and providing the best service for patients. In order to do this, he focuses on driving services such as MUrs for asthma/coPd or diabetes, and also facilitates health promotion opportunities such as the flu vaccination service or needle exchange services, which, while primarily benefits for patients, ultimately raises the profile of the community pharmacist within the community as a frontline healthcare provider.
kurtis is currently working as a medical writer in addition to conducting community pharmacy work and a full-time Phd. this combination allows him to be constantly aware of - and on top of - upcoming products, services, and research which could potentially be featured within the magazines in order to reach a wider community pharmacy audience. this always ensures that his contribution to community pharmacy can be extended further than the store in which he is based.
Working not only as a community pharmacist, but writing health articles for pharmacy magazines, and conducting a Phd, allows kurtis to view pharmacy holistically, rather than just one isolated aspect. as such, this combining various aspects of practice, investigation, and drug formulation research - which others may not have the benefit of experiencing - has impacted his practice greatly. By studying for a Phd - which is directly translational to patients and in benefiting them – also allows him to keep practice-based pharmacy at the forefront of his mind at all times, and ultimately ensures that he keeps the patient as the reason why he does all three aspects of his work.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
