To celebrate World Pharmacists Day on 25 September, Pharmacy Forum NI is delighted to present the latest resource that has been developed under the Pharmacy Futures NI campaign, launched last November 2020 with the aim to support current and future NI pharmacy workforce needs.

Our new Pharmacy Futures NI animation is targeted at all post-primary schools in Northern Ireland and is designed to encourage school pupils to consider pharmacy as a career.

Lasting just under two minutes, it is aimed mainly at school pupils at the slightly earlier stage in subject choices/career decision-making but is suitable for any post-primary age.

The animation complements the campaign’s existing wide range of resources including our virtual Pharmacy Careers Showcase hosted by Cool FM’s Rebecca McKinney and featuring some of our Pharmacy Futures NI Champions.

Addressing school pupils thinking of a career path to follow, Pharmacy Forum NI Manager, Julie Greenfield offers the following advice:

“If you are good at science and chemistry and might like a job in healthcare, one of the areas you should definitely explore is pharmacy. Just now, the pharmacy profession in Northern Ireland is taking off in all sorts of different directions with more roles, more jobs, more choice, more prospects. I encourage you to watch the animation to find out more!”

To coincide with the animation launch, the Forum in the coming weeks will be sending an A2 poster to all NI post-primary schools FAO career teacher/department and an accompanying letter signposting to all Pharmacy Futures NI resources. The final piece of the jigsaw will be a digital career leaflet signposting pharmacist and pharmacy team careers with links to the website and resources.

For more information about Pharmacy Futures NI, to speak to one of our Champions and to download the animation and all campaign resources, please visit: www.pharmacyfuturesni.com

About Pharmacy Futures NI

Pharmacy Futures NI aims to address the significant gap in the availability of qualified pharmacy professionals in NI and fill 1,100+ additional roles in pharmacy sector in NI over the next four years. The appointments – which will see current vacancies filled as well as new roles created – will include up to 560 community, hospital and general practice pharmacists and over 600 pharmacy technicians. The campaign is led by Pharmacy Forum NI in partnership with the Department of Health for Northern Ireland.

About World Pharmacists Day

World Pharmacists Day is celebrated annually on 25 September. Its purpose is to encourage activities that promote and advocate for the role of the pharmacist in improving health in every corner of the world. Pharmacists are the reason why people get the best from their medicines, they are using their experience, knowledge, and expertise to make the (medical) world a better place for everybody. Moreover, they give access to medicines, advise people on how to properly take them and so much more.

The theme for World Pharmacists Day 2021 is Pharmacy: Always trusted for your Health

Trust is a central part of all human relationships and a fundamental element of social capital. Trust is also essential to health care: there is a significant association between trust in healthcare professionals and health outcomes for patients. Across diverse clinical settings, patients reported greater satisfaction with treatment, showed more beneficial health behaviours and fewer symptoms, and experienced improved quality of life when they had higher trust in their healthcare professionals.

For more information, visit the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) website