Eighteen months of study by five pharmacists from NHS Lanarkshire has been recognised by Scotland’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Rose Marie Parr, at a graduation event in Edinburgh. Professor Parr said she was really excited by potential of all the 23 future leaders from across Scotland who completed the course.

The event marked the completion of the Pharmacy Management Clinical Leadership in Pharmacy programme, which involved the participants in a structured framework of twelve taught days, made up of eight single days and two two-day residential courses. A further core part of the programme was the completion by each of the pharmacists of a mentored workplace-based healthcare improvement project.

The Lanarkshire programme graduates who received their certificates at the event in Edinburgh were

• Jennifer Murphy, Senior Clinical Pharmacist in Critical Care;
• Ruth Campbell, Pharmacist, Medicines Management Care at Home;
• Ann Auld, Lead Pharmacist, Prescribing Management;
• Jacqueline Kelland, Pharmacist, Medicines Management Care at Home;
• Duncan Hill; Specialist Pharmacist in Substance Misuse.

Director of Pharmacy, Christine Gilmour; George Lindsay, Chief Pharmacist (Primary Care; and Gail Richardson, Head of Pharmacy Services – who supported their involvement in the programme – were on hand at the ceremony to congratulate them.

The programme was devised by Pharmacy Management whose Chief Executive, John Stanley, says its success lies in bringing together clinicians from different parts of Scotland and different disciplines:

“By working alongside colleagues from across Scotland, the Clinical Leadership in Pharmacy programme encouraged the pharmacists involved to learn from their peers through sharing experiences, challenging each other and developing productive, professional networks.

“We have all been struck by the passion that has been shown throughout by this first cohort of future clinical leaders in pharmacy in Scotland. We look forward to running similar programmes again in coming years.”