Annual conference unites pharmacy professionals from across the North and beyond

Leading figures and rising stars within the pharmacy sector came together for the Great North Pharmacy Research Collaborative Conference.

The annual event was attended by over 240 pharmacy professionals who heard from a line-up of expert speakers during the day at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

Chaired by Ewan Maule, Director of Medicines and Pharmacy at North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB), the focus of this year’s conference centred around pharmacy and health inequalities.

The conference provides a platform for the pharmacy community to share ideas and learning, and to recognise and celebrate the work of Foundation Pharmacists from across the region.

Delegates joined from a variety of roles and sectors including community pharmacy, general practice, primary care networks, local authority, higher education and the charity sector.

More than 100 posters were exhibited at the event highlighting the scale of pharmacy research that is taking place across the region.

Keynote speakers were:

  • Dr James Davies, Director for England at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
  • Professor Edward Kunonga, Director of Transformation and Population Health Management at NECS and Director of Population Health Management at NENC ICB
  • Professor Neil Watson, Clinical Director of Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Pharmacy Directorate at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor of Practice, Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University

Ewan Maule, chair of the conference, said: “This year’s Great North Pharmacy Research Collaborative Conference shone the spotlight on the breadth of research that is being undertaken throughout the region across a range of sectors.

“At a time when health inequalities are growing, particularly in the North of England, we wanted the conference to explore some of the work that is being done within the pharmacy field to help address these challenges. We were honoured to be joined by a vast array of speakers who were willing to share their experiences, learnings and ideas, which I have no doubt will have inspired many people sat in the audience.

“I’d also like to thank and congratulate all the Foundation Pharmacists who exhibited posters and presented. It is encouraging to see such passion and engagement in research from the pharmacy leaders of the future.”

Three Foundation Pharmacists were also invited to present their research to the audience. These included Aneesa Ahmed from South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kanika Girdhar from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, and Sadie Scott from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. Their presentations can now be viewed here.

The event was closed with a short awards presentation across three categories, which were judged on the day. The winners were:

  • Foundation Pharmacist Poster Award: Mohammed Al Badri from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for ‘Assessing which people in a General Practice have not attended for a Cardiovascular Disease health check using digital searches and Core20PLUS5 criteria’.
  • Foundation Pharmacist Presentation Award: Sadie Scott from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust for ‘An audit to assess the appropriateness of co-amoxiclav prescribing for acute infections’.
  • Open Call for Posters Award: Tanya Miah from UKHSA for ‘Evaluating the impact of the CPhO Clinical Fellow Scheme on fostering inclusive future leaders’.

 

Other speakers on the day included: Amandeep Doll, Royal Pharmaceutical Society/ Nottingham University Hospitals Trust; Dr Sue Picton, Woodlands Park Health Centre; Liz Morgan, Newcastle City Council; Isobel Corby and Mehru-Nisa Shah, Connected Voice Haref; Mike Maguire, NHS England and NHS Improvement – North East and Yorkshire; Omar Sarwar, Farrah Chemists; and representatives from Crisis’ HealthNow project.

Copies of the presentation slides from speakers in the main room and the breakout sessions are now available to view, along with a recording of the event at: https://healthinnovationnenc.org.uk/event/pharmacy-and-health-inequalities-mind-the-medicines-gap/