AWARDS
TOP TIPS FROM OUR AWARDS JUDGES
Ahead of this year’s application process, Scottish Pharmacist caught up with the judging panel.
Why do you think it is important for the pharmacy industry to have awards and recognition programmes? The Scottish Pharmacist Awards are a unique opportunity to celebrate the world of Pharmacy and the contribution of Community and Hospital Pharmacists across Scotland. I think it is important at a number of levels. For individual pharmacists just being nominated is a prestigious professional accolade and winning is good for their professional development, confidence and standing in the community or hospital. At an organisation level nomination for and winning awards is good for business; it is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the contribution of all staff. At a regional level the awards demonstrate the cohesion of Community and Hospital Pharmacy to the outside world; it is an opportunity to share the successes of the sector with a wider audience. It is great to have ‘good news’ stories in health when so much publicity is about the ‘broken’ system.
Can you discuss the criteria that you and the other judges used to evaluate nominees for the awards? Of course, the criteria which the judges have used to select the winners of each award category vary dependent on the nature of the award in question, but in the main, these criteria share commonality around the provision of evidence to show the impact of the related activities, the ability to overcome hurdles in order to achieve goals, and the nature and extent of the positive impact which those activities have had on pharmacy more generally, including on the lives and health of patients. If you’re considering applying for an award, or nominating someone on their behalf, it’s really important to pay attention to these criteria, as they’re what judges must and will make use of for judging – so, even if your application is beautifully composed, it won’t score well if it doesn’t explicitly address the criteria, and you
might not receive an award for which you might well be the worthy winner!
What were some of the standout qualities or accomplishments that you were looking for in award nominees? I am usually looking for something that goes above and beyond or really pushes forward new ways of working. I particularly love the applications that are celebrating all staff in the pharmacy. I know they are the pharmacy awards and we expect and want the pharmacist to be at the fore but it is nice to acknowledge the other staff who support community and hospital pharmacy in their daily work.
How do you think the awards can help to promote innovation and excellence in the pharmacy industry? The reason for these awards is to celebrate innovation and excellence, and above all else, the winners of the awards and the work that they’ve done will undoubtedly inspire others in the pharmacy community to act in a similar way – being able to both read about the applicants in more detail within Scottish Pharmacist, and hear about them at the awards event can allow others to gain motivation to offer that service that they’ve been thinking about for a while, or to enhance their activities in another way that they know will bring about positive effects, and to realise that they too can achieve hugely positive outcomes for their patients. The awards also foster collaboration between pharmacy teams, allowing individuals who may not normally be aware of each other’s initiatives to work together, bringing about an even more significant effect.
Can you discuss any trends or developments in the pharmacy industry that were reflected in the award nominees and winners? There has been a growing trend of pharmacies working closely with their communities to provide
services and initiatives to meet local needs whether through Building Community Pharmacy Partnership (BCPP) projects or spearheading other public health developments. Many impressive pieces of work have been carried out that have had a significant impact on local people across the age spectrums with innovative services implemented that are clearly welcomed in that community.
How do you see the role of pharmacists evolving in the coming years, and how do you think awards and recognition programs can support this evolution? I expect to see more innovation in how services are developed to improve access to medicines and health advice for patients, and to support self-care. This will be supported by more effective use of technology, development of independent prescriber led services and better use of a wide range of skills throughout pharmacy teams. Awards programmes will continue to recognise excellence in these developments and award innovation in developments.
Can you tell us why you think events like the industry pharmacy awards can help inspire and motivate pharmacists to continue driving positive change in their work? Pharmacists and pharmacy teams are, by their very nature, equipped and eager to bring about positive change, but this can be challenging in the face of ever-increasing workloads, staffing challenges, and the availability of financial support which can be so critical in allowing an initiative to be a success. Despite this, awards which celebrate those within the pharmacy industry act as inspiration simply via the positive atmosphere that they bring, as the community takes time to reflect on what they have achieved and celebrate the achievements of others as well as themselves.
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