AWARDS
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
supported by CHARLES TAIT
The recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution accolade may have reached an outstanding 40 years in pharmacy, but Charles Tait’s attitude to his profession – and life in general – is as fresh as the proverbial daisy!
After 40 years of dedicated service spent in various sectors of the profession, Charles may have retired from the day-to-day, on-the-shop- floor responsibility that comes with being a community pharmacist, but his feet are as far from being ‘put up’ as can be imagined.
‘I’m still enjoying the relative novelty of being ‘retired’,’ says the jovial Scot, ‘but my days somehow still seem to be full. I’m still doing some consultancy work, which allows me to keep my hand in, as they say, but I’m enjoying the fact that I can pick and choose what I’m doing. It not only allows me to focus on the aspects of pharmacy in which I’m particularly interested, but ensures that I am able to stay in contact with many of my colleagues throughout the profession.’
Charles’ 40 years in community pharmacy were spent almost exclusively within the community sector. He cut his pharmacy teeth in the Boots branch in Union Street in Glasgow before moving to Sauchiehall Street and then moved into management. Throughout his career, and in addition to his day- to-day work, he has operated as an intra- and inter-professional healthcare representative, gaining the trust and respect of his pharmacy peers and colleagues.
‘It’s difficult to say what has been the most satisfying aspect of my pharmacy career,’ Charles told SP. ‘Certainly one of the most challenging – but ultimately rewarding - aspects of my career was the implementation of the electronic transfer system for prescriptions. Of course, this system is
Professor Harry McQuillan, Chief Executive Officer, Community Pharmacy Scotland, Charles Tait, Outstanding Contribution Recipient and Bernard Stottelaar, Account Manager, Community Pharmacy, EMIS Health
now ‘bog standard’ in the profession but people don’t realise that it took years and years to be implemented, primarily due to technical difficulties but, more importantly, due to political differences.
‘Many people simply didn’t support the introduction of the electronic transfer system. They felt the system would actually start to control what they were prescribing or dispensing. Many were also concerned about government control and worried that they were almost in a ‘Big Brother’ scenario, one in which the government could see everything that they were doing. There is no doubt that it was a very difficult time.
‘Now, of course, those who had their doubts realise that the new system removed the need for typing in labels etc, and they appreciate the reduced workload that the system created, but it took a good few years for this realisation to sink in.
‘In terms of achievements during my career, I also take great pride
in the development of many of my students and their contribution to the profession – not least Harry McQuillan. This was one aspect of my career which allows me to take pride in the achievements of others and it certainly gives me great satisfaction and pride to say those I had mentored progress in the profession and deliver outstanding contributions to it.
‘In practical terms, one of my greatest achievements was the consolidation of waste management. For years, I negotiated with regulatory bodies in order to change the regulations for pharmacists so that it resembled the GP system. Eventually, pharmacy had exemptions for everything - from alkaline batteries through to blood samples, from urine samples to body parts. Prior to my actions, all of these issues were massively controlled, so I’m proud to say that I was heavily involved in having these controls removed.
‘I believe that, thanks to my actions, pharmacists began to be looked at as
healthcare professionals rather than as retailers and I’m immensely proud of that. On one memorable occasion, I recall having a whole family say ‘thank you’ for having been heavily involved in the care of their grandparent. It was such a humbling experience and one which not only stays with me, but which reminds me of the vitally important role that a community pharmacist can play in delivering healthcare ‘on the ground’ as it were.’
Charles Tait may have retired – and community pharmacy is poorer for his loss to the profession – but, for the moment, he is enjoying his new-found free time to fish for salmon, golf, walk and, as he says jokingly, ‘watch my wife gardening’!
Everyone at Scottish Pharmacist wishes him well.
To view Charles Tait’s acceptance speech visit
www.scottishpharmacist.co.uk/awards
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