Pharmacy Forum NI hosted the 96th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on 14th October where the PSNI Annual Report and Accounts 2020-2021, featuring a year in review from Pharmacy Forum NI, was presented. 

In the Forum’s AGM presentation, outgoing Chair Sheelin McKeagney paid tribute to the work of the pharmacy profession throughout the pandemic:

“I believe that Covid-19 has been our ‘Goliath’ – which NI pharmacy has met head-on – and in doing so has gained rightful recognition among policy makers including the NI Health Minister Robin Swann.”

The report highlights the Forum’s activity (pages 37-50), which is led by the Pharmacy Forum NI Board, Committees and Special Interest Groups, without whose expertise and commitment, none of our work could be achieved.

The Forum’s five key work strands are highlighted in the document:

  1. Leadership: locally active, nationally minded and internationally benchmarked: an influential voice and trusted source of information as well as an effective advocate for pharmacists, pharmacy practice and improved outcomes.
  2. Excellence: recognising and sharing excellence within the profession; highlighting and benchmarking best practice for our stakeholders and the public.
  3. Development: enabling the development of pharmacists in their practice and empowering them to reach their potential as healthcare professionals.
  4. Technology: enabling efficiency and improvement in the safety and quality of patient care through supporting the culture change required for the introduction of new technologies
  5. Support: providing help in times of need, through the Pharmacists Advice and Support Service (PASS), for pharmacists, pre-registration trainees, ex-pharmacists and their dependents.

The PSNI Annual Report and Accounts 2020 – 2021 was approved by Council on 16 September 2021 and laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 5 October 2021.