Supported by


AWARDS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP BANNSIDE PHARMACY, PORTGLENONE C


ollaborative working between healthcare professionals is regularly mooted as ‘the way


forward for healthcare’, so patients in Portglenone can rest assured that they’re in safe hands thanks to a great initiative, which was carried out in the village last year.


After receiving funding from the Diabetes Innovation & Improvement Fund, bannside Pharmacy, in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, ran a very successful twelve-week project for ten participants with Type 2 diabetes with the aim of helping them achieve better control and/or reversal of their condition.


Pharmacists Eoghan O'brien and Ryan Graham delivered the programme in partnership with:


• Dr Rebecca Houghton, Consultant Clinical Psychologist – Lead for Clinical Health Psychology at the Northern Health & Social Care Trust


• Nora O’Neill, Community Development Worker at Portglenone Enterprise Group, and


• Leslie McLaughlin - Everybody Active 2020 physical activity coach at Mid & East Antrim Council


The pharmacy also developed a closer working relationship with the participants’ diabetic nurses by: • Contacting them by phone or in person before the programme commenced to explain to them what was involved, and informing them that they could refer suitably motivated people into it.


• Following this up with an email of the information with an attached flyer


• Sending them posters and flyers advertising the programme


• Receiving information from them regarding the participants’ most recent HbA1c reading before the


42 - PHARMACY IN FOCUS


programme began, and any changes in medication that had happened by weeks twelve and 24.


• Sending the information on the outcomes of the programme and arranging a meeting with Portglenone Health Centre diabetic nurse and lead diabetes GP after it finished, with the view to discussing how the programme could be developed further.


Everyone involved in the project had their role to play:


The bannside Pharmacy staff assisted in flyer distribution and in identifying suitably motivated people with Type 2 diabetes before signposting them towards pharmacists Eoghan and Ryan to explain fully what was involved in the programme


Community pharmacists Eoghan & Ryan applied for funding from the Diabetes Innovation & Improvement Fund to run the programme; met with becky and Nora to agree the content, location and timescale of the programme and liaised with local health centres’ diabetic nurses by phone, in person and email:


Dr becky Houghton assisted in the programme design and delivered Week 1 (Making changes) and Week 5 (Stress management). Dr Houghton also measured the participants’ emotional wellbeing (WEMWbS) at weeks 1, 12 and 24 and interpreted their results.


Nora O’Neill helped to organise the weekly room set-up and tea break in the Men’s Shed. She also conducted a ten-minute chat during the tea break, signposting the group towards local community activities and programmes.


Leslie McLaughlin, meanwhile, involved all of the participants in one


Eoghan O'Brien and the team at Bannside Pharmacy with Brendan Moffatt, Sales Manager, Community Pharmacy, Bestways Medhub and Wardles


‘An integrated approach is the best way to move healthcare forward’


hour of physical activity in the middle of each three-hour session. Leslie’s lovely gentle, fun and encouraging manner helped everyone feel very comfortable about getting active.


At weeks 12 and 24, Eoghan, becky, Nora and Lesley had a recap of the first six weeks to remind everyone of the key points, and to get feedback from the group, enabling them to share what was working for them and the challenges they faced.


‘Diabetic nurses,’ said Eoghan O’brien, ‘became another partner by default, as their input was invaluable. To progress and develop this initiative further, we would explore the option of having them more involved with the design and delivery, if feasible.’


In terms of the outcomes, the collaborative team were delighted with the results: • Six out of the ten participants had a decrease in HbA1c to 6.5 per


cent (48 mmol/mol) or lower


• Seven of the ten had a clinically significant decrease in HbA1c by at least 0.5 per cent mmol/L


• One newly-diagnosed patient is now in remission, with HbA1c decreasing from 53 to 42 mmol/mol


• Two have reduced their medication on the advice of their diabetic nurse. One of these had been ready to start insulin, but his HbA1c has now decreased from 65 to 43


• Average weight loss was 2.59 per cent, with one participant 9.69 per cent of his weight.


‘An integrated approach,’ says Eoghan O’brien, ‘is the best way to move healthcare forward. I am so grateful to Dr becky Houghton, Nora O’Neill, Lesley McLaughlin, Roisin McCullough and the brilliant staff I’m blessed with for demonstrating what’s possible!’


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