Helix Health is calling on all Westmeath pharmacists to enter the fourth annual Irish Pharmacist Awards. There are 1,600 community and 100 hospital pharmacies in Ireland so competition will be stiff to win one of the coveted awards. If your local pharmacist has provided you with exceptional patient care then you can also nominate them for an award.
Helix Health expects to increase the number of entrants on last year to over 60 per cent of all pharmacies across both clinical and community settings. The Helix Health Irish Pharmacist Awards are open to all pharmacists and presented to those who have had significant positive involvement in the pharmaceutical profession in research, science, or practice fields. The awards were set up to support the Benevolent Trust Fund of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and hope to raise €40,000 this year.
“Pharmacists are no longer solely considered as medication dispensers,” said Howard Beggs, chief executive of Helix Health. “These awards recognise the important contribution pharmacists make to patients’ well being and to the overall community spirit. The public visit their local pharmacist to get advice, to benefit from first-rate patient care, and to engage with a professional with whom they have a relationship.
“The excellence in pharmaceutical care that the awards commend leads to superior outcomes for patients and is key to meeting the challenging demands of a changing pharmaceutical environment,” he added.
There are nine award categories, including the top accolades of ‘Pharmacist of the Year’ and the ‘Patient Nominated Award’. Nominations can be made by entering online at www.pharmacistawards.com The closing date for entries is Friday December 12 and the awards ceremony will take place on May 9, 2009 in the Mansion House, Dublin.
