The North-South Pharmacy Healthcare Conference 2006 brought together the latest in pharmacy research from both sides of the border. A total of 82 posters were presented at the Conference. A full listing of them is given here. A selection of poster presentations will also be published on this website.

• To investigate factors that influence the lung delivery of salbutamol from a pMDI within a mechanically ventilated infant lung model with the aim to optimize conditions to achieve maximal delivery – J.M. Bell, J.S. Millership, P. Collier, P. Loan & J.C. McElnay.

• Developing new roles for the Pharmaceutical Technician: the Provision of Non-Stock Medicines to the Wards by Technicians – C. Bogue & C. Keane

• The Emergency Management of Hyperkalaemia in Adults – T. Boyce, D. Connolly, K. King, S. O’Donnell, J. Redpath & L. Smith.

• Adverse drug events in patients presenting to emergency departments in – M. Dolan, H. Graham, K. Finlay, S. Laird, S. McGrath.

• Extemporaneous Compounding Quality Assurance in Community Pharmacy – A. Brogan, J. Strawbridge, A. Clohessy

• A new innovative Mater Hospital Trust pharmacist referral system for possible drug-related problems within the emergency department – L. Stewart

• Attitudes of community pharmacists in to dispensing errors and a reporting system for such errors - D. Burns & T. Grimes

• The Audit and Development of a Care Plan for Osteoporosis Prophylaxis and Treatment in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital - M. Creed, J. Strong & C. Meegan

• Are prescribers’ intentions met when prescriptions are dispensed? - A. Crehan & T. Grimes

• Accuracy of Medication Prescribing in Elective Admission Patients in a Tertiary Referral Teaching Hospital - E. Crimin & N. O’Hanlon

• The role of antibiotics in the development of MRSA – M.A. Aldeyab, C.M. Hughes, M.G. Scott, M.P. Kearney, F.A. Magee & J.C. McElnay.

• Patient Medication Review by a Community Pharmacist in - B. Dalton & S. Ryder

• Management of anaemia of chronic renal failure in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients: a process improvement approach for better patient outcomes - D. Davin, T. Delaney, C. O'Brady & V. Heaney

• A regional standard for the strength of oral methotrexate liquid in – J. Redpath.

• Palliative Care Pharmacist in Donegal Hospice and Letterkenny General Hospital (LGH) - A. Devenney & T. Ferrie

• A community pharmacy intervention scheme – G. Plant & T. McDaid.

• Evaluation of the need for a pharmacist on the Palliative Care Team in St. James's Hospital, Dublin - C. Donnelly, E. Relihan, F. King, R. Adams, & K. Sabra

• Comparative Study between the role of Hospital Pharmacists in and - L. Echeazarra L. & Z. Gonzalez

• The Establishment of an Antimicrobial Usage Database, and the Demonstration of its Use as an Audit Tool to Investigate the Appropriateness of Prescribing of the Antimicrobial Pipericillin-Tazobactam - S.M. Egan, C. Kirke & M. Doyle

• Take Time to Make Time - C. Field, J. Brown, P. Heckmann & C. Meegan

• The Role of the Pharmaceutical Technician in Medicines Information - A. Flynn & N. O’Hanlon

• Perceptions of Medicines by Children in - F. Foley & S. Ryder

• An Audit on the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Service in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda - A. French

• A Multi-disciplinary Approach to Implementing a Tight Glycaemic Control Policy in the AMNCH Intensive Care Unit - C. Gowing, S. Connors, K. Wilkin & M. Donnelly

• Medicines, Herbals, Foods and Disease States that may Interact with Warfarin: Development of a Practice Resource for Community Pharmacists – C. Gowing & O. Sheehan

• To assess the impact of a pharmacist-led TDM service on vancomycin and gentamicin levels in St. James’s Hospital – A. O’Reilly, B. O’Connell, C. Bergin, V. Treacy, T. Rogers & K. Sabra.

• Changes Made to Prescriptions during Hospital Stay: What do General Practitioners and Community Pharmacists want to know? - T. Grimes, E. Deasy, T. Delaney & J. Kelly

• Benzodiazepine prescribing: Impact of the Benzodiazepine Committee's Report - R.F. Harte, O.I. Corrigan & Ryder

• A pharmacist-run benzodiazepine clinic – L. Smith.

• The Pharmacy On-call Service at AMNCH: Smoothing the Path for an Effective, Efficient Documentation and Induction Process - J. Hayde & C. O’Brady

• Why are we busier? - P. Heckmann, J. Brown & C. Meegan

• Development of a Template for Answering a Liver Medicines Information Query - F. Kennedy

• Survey on GP satisfaction with information provided regarding medication at patient discharge from hospital – N. McGarrity & P. Kelly.

• Developing the Role of a Technician in a Clinical Setting - L. Kerr

• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education: A Systematic Approach to Improving Prescribing - M. Kieran, M. Creed & C. Meegan

• Paediatric Competencies: A Training Tool for Clinical Pharmacists - N. Kilcullen, A. Allen, & S. Moran

• Use of Probiotics in Clostridium Difficile Infection - C. Kingston & C. Monaghan

• Evaluation of Impact of a Ward-based Technician Service on Drug Availability on Wards - J. Mcgillycuddy, E.M. Deasy, A. Coke, M. Sanders & F. Glynn

• Audit of Intravenous to Oral Antimicrobial Switch Therapy in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital - R. McGrath, N. Scanlon & C. Meegan

• Medication Reconciliation: Improving the Process - C. McManamly & C. Gowing

• Clinical governance training for practice staff – J. Magee/NHSSB Prescribing Support Team.

• The Quality Cycle; Improving Hospital In-Patient Prescribing and Administration - C. Meegan, M. McGuirk & M. Kieran

• The Introduction of a New Policy and Guidelines for the Assessment and Documentation of Drug Allergies - C. Meegan, M. McGuirk, M. Kieran & B. Maloney

• The Introduction of Once-Daily Tobramycin Dosing in the National Referral Centre for Adult Cystic Fibrosis at St. Vincent’s University Hospital - C. Muldowney & C. Keane

• How can Advances in Pharmacy Information Technology improve patient care and clinical practice in St Vincent's University Hospital (SVUH)? – D. Mulvihill & N. O’Hanlon.

• Quality of Health Information on the Internet – N. Murphy & S. Ryder

• Community Pharmacy Services for Type 2 Diabetics – F. Nash & S. Ryder

• A Clinical Pharmacist-led Evaluation of Post-operative Pain Management at AMNCH – L. Neville & C. O’Brady

• Accident and Emergency: is there a need for a clinical pharmacist? – A. Nevin & K. Feeley

• DUMP: Past, Present and Future – D. O’Driscoll

• Raising receptionist awareness in primary care on producing repeat prescriptions for diabetic products – J. Magee/NHSSB Prescribing Support Team

• Raising receptionist awareness in primary care on producing repeat prescriptions for stoma appliances - J. Magee/NHSSB Prescribing Support Team

• Reaching Out to People with Mental Illness - D. O’Driscoll, A. Clohessy, F. McNicholas, C. Fitzpatrick, N. Turner, E. O’Callaghan, J. Redican, C. Brogan & O. Sheehan

• Read the Label, Understand the Directions – C. Reilly & J. D’Arcy

• Pharmacy Input in Geriatric Discharge/Transfer from a General Hospital - M. Ryan, M. McDevitt, L.Kerr, M. McMonagle & A. Wangerin

• Are community pharmacists in Northern Ireland surfing the Net? – B.A. McCaw, K. McGlade & J.C. McElnay.

• Verification study and audit of frequency, type and clinical importance of medication errors conducted on in-patient prescriptions - L. Sahm, A. Murphy, O. Murphy, M. Brennan, M. Forde & M. Owens

• An Audit of Vancomycin in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital – N. Scanlon, A. Hanevey & C. Meegan

• Back To The Future: A CPD Toolkit for Ireland – O. Sheehan, P. Mason, K. Hogson, N Scanlon, T. Grimes, C. Gowing, N. Stenson R. Dungan, S. O’Driscoll, E. Hoctor, B. Quinlan, F. Leonard, D. McDermott, P. Benav, M. McCarthy, M. Periata, A.M. Cushen, N. Boden, J. Cronin, R. O’Connell.

• A review of the pharmacy service to the Emergency Department, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital – G. Treacy, A. Seoighe & C. Meegan

• NHSSB Wound Management Manual (2005) – D. Gill, M. Johnston, S. Bellingham, St. Tohill, R. McSwiggan, E. Witherhead , F. McConnell & J. Cundell.

• Trial of an Automated Medication Dispensing System in Letterkenny General Hospital - A.Wangerin, M. McMonagle & T. Ferrie

• Screening for diabetes in community pharmacy - C. Weir & S. Ryder

• Shared care guideline development – J. Taggart/Interface Pharmacist Network for Specialist Medicines.

• Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) – D.G. Power, M.J. Kennedy, F. King, L.F. Stassen, J.C. Beirne, F.A. Brady & P.A. Daly.

• Effect of trastuzumab on left ventricular ejection fracture (LVEF) – R.E. O’Cearbhaill, D.G. Power, F. King & M.J. Kennedy.

• The establishment of a hospital pharmacists’ research and practice activities database – A. Lucey, C. Hughes & K. Sabra.

• Early screening for Type 2 diabetes, pilot project, September 2004-December2004 – A.M. Groom

• Extemporaneous compounding: quality assurance in community pharmacy – A. Brogan, J. Strawbridge & A. Clohessy.

• To examine the usage of linezolid in all areas of St. James’s Hospital over a two-week period in 2005 - A. O’Reilly, B. Mooka, C. Bergin, V. Treacy & K. Sabra.

• Evaluation of a medication safety day for nursing undergraduate students – A. Lappin

• A review of the continuing professional development of hospital pharmacists in – E. Fogarty, N. McMahon & K. Sabra.

• Development of a newsletter for the interface pharmacist network specialist medicines – J. Lawson & O. Traynor.

• Evaluation of a red/amber service – O. Traynor & J. Lawson.

• Promoting awareness of type 2 diabetes in community pharmacies in border areas – L.K. Maguire, T.A. Hunter & C.M. Hughes.

• The role of the pharmaceutical technician in medicines information – A. Flynn & N. O’Hanlon

• Audit of compliance with the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) Strong Potassium Solutions Alert in Secondary Care Trusts in – L. Smith.

• Perceptions of medicines by children in – F. Foley & S. Ryder.

• Medicines management – then and now – V. McIlduff.

• Introduction of competency based program for assessment of the suitability of patients’ own medicines for re-use – E. Goodwin & C. D’Arcy.

• Evaluation of a medication safety day for nursing undergraduate students – S. O’Donnell/Medicines Governance Team.

• Health professionals’ information needs relating to the pharmaceutical care of cancer patients – C. Hughes, W. Cousins, R. Wilson, J.C. McElany & C. M. Hughes.

• Educational psychologists’ views on prescribing and monitoring of Ritalin in schools: a survey study – W. Hollinger , C.M. Hughes & R. Kilpatrick.

• Are prescribers’ intentions met when prescriptions are dispensed? – A. Crehan & T. Grimes.

• Multidimensional work sampling (MDWS) of pharmacist activity in a pharmaceutical care service for nursing home residents: a pilot study – S.M. Patterson, K. Shanks, G.E. Crealey & C.M. Hughes.

• Patient medication review by a community pharmacist in – B. Dalton & S. Ryder.

• Regional travel vaccine guidance launched – G. Miller.

• An initiative to rationalise the prescribing of aspirin and clopidogrel in combination – E. Quinn, M.J. Kerr, V. Addy, M. Maguire & D. Garland.

• Community pharmacy services for type 2 diabetes – F. Nash & S. Ryder.