INTERVIEW


equipment (PPe) was provided in line with public health guidance and community pharmacy staff were recognised as key workers and included in testing arrangements. An important new service for emergency supply of medicines was also introduced.


‘This has been a time for leadership, and I have been very fortunate to be able to draw on the support of strong leaders within pharmacy in Northern Ireland. In the fightback against Covid-19 this meant that, within days, decisions were made, services were developed, education was provided, and advice and guidance issued that would ordinarily have taken months.


‘There are so many individuals and organisations that stepped forward to work with me in collective leadership and, while there are too many to list, I do wish to pay tribute to the Health and social Care Board, the Trusts, Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland the ulster Chemists Association, the Pharmaceutical society of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development, and the Medicines Optimisation and Innovation Centre. Valued partners from the community and voluntary sectors also stepped forward willingly to support community pharmacies, including the Community Development Health Network and Mid and east Antrim Agewell Partnership.


‘I think community pharmacy in Northern Ireland has shown a


tremendous amount of resilience. ‘I have been very impressed by the way people have stood up to the challenge and have managed to draw on their inner strength and support from each other.


‘A priority for me at the moment is to see the situation with our preregistration students resolved as soon as possible.


‘Their experience over recent weeks has been completely different to what they, or any of us, would have anticipated at this stage in their training. They have been exposed to high workloads, working under tremendous pressure but I hope that they have also benefited from being part of teams working positively towards a common purpose.


‘When we do get through the COVID-19 crisis, my hope would be that the position of pharmacists in terms of the public perception of their value remains high and that pharmacy teams will continue to be recognised as being essential front- line workers. I think the public have shown that they really value the work that community pharmacy has done in the last few weeks and I would like to see that continuing. Keeping the profile of community pharmacy high in the public perception will be something that I am keen to support, reminding people of the work that is going on, so they continue to recognise just how much they rely on our pharmacy teams.


‘In terms of what might be different when it’s all over, I believe some


things won’t return to how they were before. In time, we will get a chance to reflect and I think there will be a lot to be learned from the steps that we took in Northern Ireland to consider the needs of our staff. Particularly, I have in mind the changes that were made to the patient-facing opening hours of community pharmacy. The feedback that I have had from teams on these changes has been incredibly positive. The protected lunch hours have brought teams together, allowed much valued – and much-needed – time for recuperation. And it has also supported great team spirit. I would like to see a way that that approach, centred on looking after staff and their wellbeing, can be carried forward and perhaps some of the changes maintained.


‘I have also lent very heavily on the collective leadership that exists within pharmacy in Northern Ireland and I would like to see that strong collective leadership continue. We have shown we can really achieve great things in a short period of time and I know we can achieve more in the future.


‘Pharmacy has shown itself to be one profession and we are very fortunate in Northern Ireland to be able to tap into a wealth of expertise of pharmacy across all health sectors.


‘COVID-19 has been a real test for the pharmacy profession, and I think we have stood up well. It has become increasingly apparent that others outside our profession are recognising


Cathy Harrison


what pharmacy has had to offer during this Covid-19 crisis. Pharmacy has been a highly visible part of the health and social care workforce and I have been very encouraged by the positive words that have been said not just by our own Health Minister, Robin swann, but also the uK Health secretary, and the Prime Minister, each of whom has singled out pharmacy staff and community pharmacists for praise. It’s really encouraging and a fitting recognition of the amount of effort, passion and commitment that I can see right across the profession.


‘In recent weeks, community pharmacy has succeeded in meeting the challenges because of the embedded core principles that community pharmacy has of service to their patients and their communities.


“When we do get through the COVID-19 crisis, my hope would be that the position of pharmacists in terms of the public perception of their value remains high and that pharmacy teams will continue to be recognised as being essential front-line workers”


‘In the last few weeks, we have seen something of a return to more ‘normal working’, but I think our recovery will take time. some people will bounce back quickly, others will need longer. I would encourage people to use the support that is on offer. I know that the Pharmacy Forum, for example, offers very good support for pharmacy staff to help people cope with stress.


‘In time there will be many lessons to be learnt and returning to ‘business as usual’ may not always be the best option. In the meantime, each day brings a new challenge and there are issues still to be resolved.


‘My last words are for the pharmacists and the pharmacy staff on the front line, and I wish to say to each of you, when the time comes to pause and reflect on your contribution to patient care during Covid-19, you can be proud that you stepped forward and did a great job.’


PHARMACY IN FOCus - 7


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