24th November 2021
A pharmacist from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust has been made an Honorary Professor by Queens University.
Dr Roisin O’Hare has been given the honour in recognition of her contribution to pharmacy education.
Professor O’Hare who is based at Craigavon Area Hospital’s pharmacy, is the Lead Teacher Practitioner Pharmacist for Northern Ireland.
The Southern Trust has around 200 pharmacy staff, providing services 24 hours a day across five hospital sites and support to community services.
Along with purchasing and supplying medicines and dressings, the team is responsible for an increasing number of specialist drugs and have been central in the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
Responsible for the clinical learning of pharmacy students from both Queens and the University of Ulster, Professor O’Hare splits her time between the universities and hospitals, leading the team of pharmacists teaching and supporting trainee pharmacists and is also involved in research and development.
Paying tribute to Professor O’Hare, Director of Pharmacy for the Southern Trust, Dr Tracey Boyce said:
“Pharmacy staff have an absolutely critical role in delivering safe, high quality care across the Southern Trust. In last 12 months the team has dispensed 135,000 discharge prescription medicines and supplied 334,000 stock items to wards, in addition to their clinical roles at ward level, in the provision of chemotherapy and in outpatient clinics.
“In addition to their routine activity, the team have a vital role in our response to the pandemic, ensuring that vaccines are safely administered to thousands of staff and local people and also managing the introduction of the new drugs and treatments for Covid-19 within our hospitals.
“In order to keep abreast with constant developments in modern medicine, it is essential that our pharmacists are highly skilled and knowledgeable. Thanks to the leadership of Roisin, our team are educated to the highest standards and have been very well equipped to respond to the challenges of the past year. I would like to pay tribute to all of our pharmacy staff for their flexibility and commitment to their patients and warmly congratulate Roisin on this very much deserved recognition.”
Dr Tracey Boyce, Director of Pharmacy for the Southern Trust and Sara Laird, Teacher Practitioner Pharmacist congratulating Professor Roisin O’Hare on her new honour.