I was very fortunate recently to be invited, once again, to be a member of the judging panel for the Training Matters Recognition of Excellence Awards, says Joanne Taylor

The Awards were introduced last year and are the only national awards to acknowledge the work of all levels of support staff working in community pharmacies across the UK – making these Awards rather unique.

It’s great to see that so many people working in this sector really make a difference to patient care and are willing to go the extra mile for their patients and customers within their local communities. Sometimes, being in this role can be a thankless task. Awards like these recognise those pharmacy team members who go out of their way to give such a personal service.

I can see the difference that the personal touch makes on a daily basis in the group of pharmacies where I work. It’s amazing how many patients will ask for a certain member of staff by name as they have built up such a good rapport with them and feel able to ask them for help with any issues they are having with their health or medication. Staff feel valued as a result and it’s obvious that the individual approach is what brings the patient back to the pharmacy time and time again.

It’s obvious that the relationships which we build over the years are what make community pharmacies so special and essential to the health and wellbeing of patients. We see generations of customers grow up and are continually there to offer assistance at each stage in life, contributing so much to patient care.

So, although we recognised and acknowledged the award winners at the Recognition of Excellence Awards in June, it comes as no surprise that these winners represent pharmacy support staff everywhere. The Awards give us the opportunity to say “well done” to all pharmacy staff who make such a difference in the healthcare of their communities, wherever they are.

 

Joanne is a registered pharmacy technician and ACPT, and is professional standards lead at Vittoria Healthcare. She is national secretary for the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), and is a member of the Medicines Rebalancing Programme Board at the Department of Health as well as TM’s editorial advisory panel.