FIFTH ALL-IRELAND PHARMACY CONFERENCE-Report

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The 5th All-Ireland Pharmacy Conference held on the 8th February 2011 in the Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Dundalk was a most successful event attended by a large number of pharmacists from all over Ireland.

The Conference was opened on the Tuesday morning by Marita Kinsella, Chief Pharmacist, Department of Health and Children. Marita spoke of the challenges facing the health service in managing the increasing numbers of people with chronic diseases and the essential role for pharmacists in preventing and managing chronic disease.

The keynote address was given by Elaine Paton who is a Primary Care Development Pharmacist in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Area. Elaine’s address was on Managing Chronic Disease through Community Pharmacy and she explained how Scotland’s Chronic Medication Service had been implemented. The service allows pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care to patients with long-term conditions.

Delegates were then given the opportunity to view the 84 posters on display, covering a wide variety of topics relating to pharmaceutical care in the community and in hospital.

There were parallel oral presentations on Medicines Management, New Directions in Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy and Good Practice. The delegates were treated to the most interesting presentations on a range of topics such as Community Pharmacy Based Anticoagulation Clinic; Health Screening in Pharmacies in Ireland; Implementing SOPs for Dispensing to Nursing Homes; Community Pharmacists’ Role in Promoting Generic Medicine Usage; Clinical Pharmacy Services through PGDs; and many more.

The conference was closed with remarks from Norman Morrow, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, DHSSPS, who encouraged delegates to put into practice the innovative practice ideas presented at the conference.

Some of the pharmacists attending the conference are pictured below: