NHS Dumfries and Galloway awards recognise pharmacy professionals
09.01.2024 - 08:53
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
The first annual NHS Dumfries and Galloway pharmacy awards have honoured professionals in the field in three categories.
Pharmacy colleague of the year was awarded to Lucy Little who has developed the Annandale and Eskdale pharmacy hubs.
Lucy was praised for striving to make the service better while trying to encourage each individual to be the best they can be.
She is described as “a supportive and understanding manager who makes being in her team a great experience”.
Ellie Copeland, a system expert in the new controlled drug management system within Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, won the title of outstanding contribution to pharmacy in recognition of being “a proactive professional who can hear about issues and come up with solutions and drive improvement”.
She took a whole system approach to change, working well with a wide range of stakeholders and is regarded as “an inspirational member of the acute pharmacy technical team”.
The third category of outstanding contribution to pharmacy award was won by the specialist drug and alcohol service pharmacy team, which includes Sam Nairn, Mark Blount, Sean Steele and Eilish Bell.
The team were praised for the work that has been achieved in the medium to longer term to shape services to meet the healthcare needs of people in Dumfries and Galloway.
The team’s contribution has ensured that the region is leading the way in Scotland for the use of buprenorphine supported by project evaluation and service user feedback, and multidisciplinary work to achieve the medication-assisted treatment standards for people dependent on opioid drugs such as morphine or heroin.
Buprenorphine – also known as buvidal – is a long-acting injectable alternative to methadone,