Annual Awards - 2019 Winners

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Annual Awards - 2019 Winners

 2019 Annual Conference Award Winners

Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic the 2020 Annual Conference was postponed. 

APTUK Katherine Miles Poster Award sponsored by

1st Place

The learning needs of pharmacy technicians working in general practice

Mary Carter, Training Programme Director Pharmacy Workforce Development South

 

2nd Place

Achieving prudent healthcare by reducing repeat reauthorisation in GP surgeries

Michelle Llewellyn, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Wales

 

3rd Place

Developing a leaner process for supplying controlled drugs in a large acute NHS Trust

Helen J. Taylor, Leeds Medicines Formulary Manager, Leeds Medicines Advisory Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

 

APTUK 2019 Annual Conference Awards

The APTUK Annual Conference awards celebrate and acknowledge successful individuals, teams and projects within the pharmacy technician profession. With the support of our sponsors we are delighted to be able to recognise all sectors of pharmacy practice and individual excellence through these awards. Prizes include an educational bursary towards attendance at APTUK Annual Conference and Exhibition 202

Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award sponsored by 

The Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award acknowledges an outstanding Pharmacy Technician who has shown a significant contribution over the past 12 months and symbolises the best of their profession; gone above and beyond their day to day duties and deserves wider recognition.

First Place 

Sarah Jane Green, Chief Pharmacy Technician, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust

Nominated by Anna Atkinson, Deputy Lead Pharmacist - Central Lancashire, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust

Combing her enthusiasm to encourage others to strive for excellence with a desire to raise awareness of the importance of medicines safety and patient centred outcomes, Sarah has successfully led and developed the team of Pharmacy Technicians implementing the CODEG competency framework. Sarah held a ‘Time to Shine’ awards ceremony and  has been involved in establishing a preceptorship programme for newly qualified pharmacy technicians who join our Trust.  Sarah has played a key role in developing and supporting the very first apprenticeship scheme within our pharmacy team to help create our technicians of the future. Sarah holds quarterly meetings for all the technicians and ensures that the meetings are focused on their needs and wellbeing. She has established a learning community with CPPE and ensures that the team receive regular presentations to update CPD and enhance their development. Sarah has been part of a task and finish group at the RPS  developing up-to-date guidance on the safe and secure handling of medicines. She has recently been a member of a task and finish group at Health Education England looking at new roles for Pharmacy within Mental Health. Sarah is passionate about improving medicines adherence and believes that pharmacy technicians are in a great position to have those meaningful discussions with patients. She has developed a Twitter platform called ‘What About ME’ (the ME also standing for Medicines Education). Sarah was contacted via Twitter to take part in a Radio 2 programme to celebrate the NHS turning 70, and as always used it as an opportunity to highlight the great work that technicians do.

Second Place 

Margaret Vass, Pharmacy Technician Team Leader, Medicines Governance Team, NHS Fife

Nominated by Geraldine Smith, Andrea Smith Lead Pharmacist Medicine Governance and Education and Training, Lead Fife HSCP, NHS Fife. 

Margaret is an outstanding example of a professional leader who goes above and beyond to deliver not only on her own objectives but in supporting the development of others across the Pharmacy service but also multi-professionally. She can be relied upon to deliver complex, organisation wide change and always considers the needs of her team when doing so. Margaret has made a crucial contribution to the development of a new medicine policy, leading on storage, destruction (waste management) medical gases  and administration of medicines across all settings. Margaret led the development and roll out of an audit programme focusing on security of medicines across all in-patient wards and departments providing assurance that the requirements of the new policy were both implemented and met.

Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award sponsored by 

The Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician of the Year Award will be made to a trainee who, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates outstanding effort and commitment

First Place 

Nicola James, Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician, Powys Teaching Health Board

Nominated by Sarah Blythe Gray, Senior Medicines Management Technician, Powys Teaching Health Board

Nicola is currently mid way through the first multi-sector training programme here in Wales, and her training is being undertaken in Community Pharmacy, Secondary Care, GP Practice, Senior Health Board Team and across Community and Social Care sectors. This sounds complicated but works well in a Rural Health Board setting when following a patient through their journey and into their 'home' setting. Nicola has done this with 100% passion, commitment and with total focus on the individual patient and ensuring their safety around medicines use. I feel as a student, Nicola has been pivotal to this pilot training programme being a success thus far. Her desire to deliver a wholly professional pharmacy service to patients and also to work in partnership with her multidisciplinary colleagues, has been such a pleasure to see. Her growth through the training and in her competency in application of her training has exceeded my expectations of a student Pharmacy Technician and also further reinforced the view that multi-sector training can work and should be the way all Pharmacy Technicians of the future are trained. Thank you for all your hard work, dedication to your learning and for enabling successful cross-sector understanding.

Second Place

Fflur Elenid Gwyn, Student Pharmacy Technician, Betsi Cadwaladr University Healthboard

Nominated by Julie Mathieson, Senior Pharmacy Technician. Procurement & IT, Betsi Cadwaladr University Healthboard

Fflur has a passion for pharmacy and patient care. She is enthusiastic in her work and personal development sharing this with her peers.  Fflur has been fully engaged with all aspects of her training and is now looking forward to developing her career pathway as a registered pharmacy technician.  Her enthusiasm to reach a high standard in her studies has been rewarded with a special commendation for her poster at the North Wales Pharmacy Conference.

 

Excellence in Leadership Award sponsored by 

The judging panel are looking for an outstanding pharmacy Technician, from any pharmacy sector in the UK who has demonstrated exceptional professional leadership.

First Place 

Sarah Griffiths,  Chief Technician Pharmacy Procurement and High Cost Drugs, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Nominated by: Iain Davidson/Alison Hill,  Chief Pharmacist/Head of Pharmacy Supply Services, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Sarah is an excellent example of what can be achieved with a mixture of hard work and talent. She moved from technical services to the procurement role 5 years ago and since then has been determined to become an expert and the best in this field. I think she has achieved this with the attainment of her CIPS qualifications and the other knowledge she has accrued through her experiences and networking . What makes her really stand-out for the leadership award is how she has shared this new learning, experience and enthusiasm with those around her, whether within her local team or at a regional level- where she had led numerous educational workshops. We are very proud of her at the Royal Cornwall and feel she is very worthy of this award.

Lisa Green, Pharmacy Dispensary/Operations Manager, St Andrews Healthcare

Nominated by: Libby Clifton, Pharmacy Procurement Lead, St Andrews Healthcare

Lisa is a natural and exceptional leader, she goes above and beyond to encourage others around her.  Lisa’s desire for the best patient outcomes are what drives her to do this and her role model status goes beyond pharmacy.  Lisa consistently delivers results and throughout achieving this will inspire others that they can achieve more.  The qualities that Lisa brings to the profession of Pharmacy Technicians cannot be taught, she is a real example of ‘excellence’ in leadership.

  

APTUK Branch of the Year sponsored by 

The Branch of the Year Award acknowledges the ongoing dedication, enthusiasm and commitment of Pharmacy Technicians members running local branches voluntarily in their community.

First Place 

KENT Branch

Nominated by: Lynn Gallagher, Kent Branch Chair

 

Second Place

LONDON Branch

Nominated by: Pam Bahia, London Branch Chair

 

 

Excellence in Pharmacy Practice sponsored by 

The Excellence in Pharmacy Practice award recognises an outstanding Pharmacy Technician, team or project that has made a significant contribution to pharmacy practice in any pharmacy sector in the UK. 

This could be:

  • a development of a new service, innovation or a research project
  • improving a service, working practices or utilising new technologies to enhance patient care
  • a multidisciplinary approach to delivering a pharmacy services/care to patients

First Place 

Bhavesh Rathod, Adam Johnson, Lisa Monaghan,  Pharmacy ED Team,  Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Nominated by: Andrea Ashton, Associate Director of Pharmacy Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

A pilot was commenced at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to establish the benefit and potential skill mix of a pharmacy service in the Emergency Department (ED). The pilot demonstrated the model integrating Medicines Management Pharmacy Technicians  in the team was the most effective and proved significant improvements to medication safety. From this success, a business case was approved and an innovative six day pharmacy service was introduced which has improved the overall care provided to our patients earlier in their hospital stay.

Joint Second Place

Helen J. Taylor, Pharmacy Technician, Leeds Medicines Formulary Manager and DTG Professional Secretary, Leeds Medicines Advisory Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Nominated by Keri Murphy, Lead Pharmacist, Leeds Medicines Advisory Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Helen has developed an innovative process for supplying controlled drugs to clinical areas at this large acute NHS trust.  Each clinical area has a bespoke, electronic, live CD stock list which pre-populates a printed CD requisition that meets all legal requirements: all the nurse has to do is add the quantity required for each item and sign it.  This has virtually eliminated errors and released 20 days of nursing time /year for patient care.

Joint Second Place

Michelle Walker, Rheumatology Pharmacy Technician, Rheumatology, Moving Well Service, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust

Nominated by Catherine Oakes, Highly Specialised Pharmacist (Rheumatology and Biologics), Lancashire Care Foundation Trust

The nomination is for Michelle Walker for the APTUK/AAH Excellence in Pharmacy Practice Award for developing a new pharmacy technician role within a community based rheumatology service. This has improved  the existing service to enhance patient care involving a multidisciplinary approach to delivering a pharmacy services/care to rheumatology patient within Central Lancashire. Michelle’s hard work and dedication to developing this service has made a success of this new role.

 

Excellence in Pharmacy Education and Development Award sponsored by 

The Excellence in Pharmacy Education and Development award recognises an outstanding Pharmacy Technician, team or project that has made a significant contribution to education, training and development of pharmacy technicians or pharmacy teams in the UK.

First Place 

Sarah Griffiths, Chief Technician Pharmacy Procurement and High Cost Drugs, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Nominated by Danny Palmer, Regional Medicines Procurement Specialist (SW), UH Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

For some time our regional meetings have been very business focused, and we looked to change the experiences of our colleagues to better engage their views and to contribute - Something that many felt unable to do. Sarah took on the challenge of sharing her experiences of studying for her CIPS exams, and delivered innovative and engaging material that has up-skilled many of our colleagues and refocused our future regional agenda and work plans

Second Place 

Mandeep Matharoo, Principal Pharmacy Technician - Education & Training, Cambridge University Hospitals

Nominated by Gill Shelton,  Principal Pharmacist - Education & Training, Cambridge University Hospitals

Over recent years, an increasing incidence of both physical and mental wellbeing issues has been observed amongst the trainee cohort of pre-reg pharmacists and pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians.  A strategy to support the trainees was developed and Mandeep was a key contributor to a project, in conjunction with the wider E&T team,  to develop a trainee wellbeing strategy in order to move from reactive support to proactive positive wellbeing management. It was essential to empower students with the skills and knowledge to be able to identify ways in which to manage their wellbeing. Also providing them with the confidence to share their experiences and apply their new skills.

 

APTUK 2019 Annual Conference Honorary Memberbership Award 

An honorary membership category, ratified by members, was introduced in June 2011, to enable APTUK to acknowledge exceptional service, given either to the Association or to The Pharmacy Technician profession generally, by a person who is not eligible to be a member of APTUK.

The honorary member is a distinctive membership bestowed in recognition of the efforts of the nominee who has made a profound difference by either:

championing and upholding the professional role of pharmacy technicians
publically supporting the continuing development of pharmacy technicians
advancing the roles, knowledge, skills and behaviours of pharmacy technicians
working consistently hard on behalf of pharmacy technicians
 

The awardee will be entitled to lifetime membership of APTUK, however they will not be entitled to any voting rights. Only one honorary membership will be awarded each year and this year the award went to:

Gail Fleming, Director of Education and Professional Development, Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Gail was nominated by Liz Fidler, President APTUK 

“I am nominating Gail Fleming for Honorary membership of the Association, as I believe that she has demonstrated all the key attributes worthy of such an esteemed honour. I would be delighted to provide further examples for the Board should they require. I feel passionately about this application which I am submitting on behalf of a number of APTUK members, names of which I can provide to support this application if required.

Championing and upholding the professional role of pharmacy technicians

Gail throughout her career, has championed the role that pharmacy technicians contribute to patients and services.

Within her previous role as Pharmacy Dean in HEE London and South East, Gail ensured that pharmacy technicians have had opportunity to access training that was not defined by profession. For example, Gail ensured that whilst setting up quality management systems for trainees the standards were applied for pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians. This led to raising the profile of education for PTPT at both a departmental and trust level, enabling the quality of education to be enhanced.

In addition to this, Gail supported many projects at a senior level to ensure that equitable training opportunities were available to pharmacy technicians, for example access to educational supervisor training. Gail championed that pharmacy technicians have the correct knowledge and skills to supervise trainees regardless of their professional status. This led to consistency and opportunities for pharmacy technicians in London and the South East to demonstrate they had the necessary knowledge and skills to be appointed into roles that were education in focus across the professions.

Publicly supporting the continuing development of pharmacy technicians

Gail is a well-respected national pharmacy leader and I have witnessed on many occasions her passionate support for the pharmacy technician profession. She has at every opportunity championed the contribution pharmacy technicians make and challenged where access to funding or opportunities has not appeared proportionate. Her ability to influence and clear knowledge of what the pharmacy technician profession can contribute to service and patient care has been pivotal in the support of developing continuing development on a local, regional and national level.

Advancing the roles, knowledge, skills and behaviours of pharmacy technicians

Whilst in her previous role as Chair of the NHS Pharmacy Education & Development Committee (PEDC), Gail supported the development of the National Medicines Management Framework and approval process. This was a key professional development educational opportunity for pharmacy technicians. This is well established and now a key unit within the new qualification and an enabler for medicines optimisation as defined by Carter.

Gail was a key supporter to ensure that HEE was able to support Skills for Health with funding to facilitate the development of the new qualification to meet the October 2017,  GPhC Initial Education and Training Standards.

On a personal level, I have witnessed Gail’s mentoring, role modelling and pastoral support for key pharmacy technician leaders. Encouraging them to take on national positions and challenging roles where it was appropriate to change recruitment criteria to reflect registration status rather than underpinning qualification.

Working consistently hard on behalf of pharmacy technicians.

I have personally worked closely with Gail for 14 years and throughout that time, have numerous examples of how Gail will champion often behind the scenes, but very much publicly when needed to support the profession.

The key reason for nominating is to recognise that Gail has supported so much more than a voice, she has supported real examples that pharmacy technicians’ access as part of every day development, I have no doubt that without her support these opportunities may not have been as well implemented or started!”

APTUK Board of Directors, independently score each of the nominations received and the outcome and result is verified at Board meeting.    Those Directors with a conflict of interest are excluded from the process.

 

APTUK 2019 Annual Conference Fellow Member Award 

Fellow membership is the highest level of APTUK membership and recognises developed expertise and sustained professionalism. Being awarded a fellowship is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a member.

The membership category of Fellow is achieved through peer nomination. To be eligible to be nominated members of the Association must demonstrate upholding the values of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK) demonstrating loyalty to APTUK and the Pharmacy Technician profession, and be well respected by their peers and colleagues.

A Fellowship is awarded in recognition of exceptional professional performance or outstanding service contribution to the Pharmacy Technicians profession or to the Association, on either a local or a national level.

This year’s Fellow Membership award was presented to Tess Fenn

Tess was nominated by Julie Mathieson and Diane Meech

“I am nominating Tess for a fellowship of APTUK based on her long standing commitment and passion for the pharmacy technician profession, her unwavering support for APTUK  her excellent leadership skills and proactive approach to situations that she has demonstrated throughout her career.

Tess has long shown her continued commitment to APTUK as a member from early in her career and over the past 18 years at national level.  She was instrumental in starting up the Kent branch of APTUK and being part of the organising committee for the Maidstone conference in 2006. Tess continued her commitment and loyalty to APTUK when taking on National roles as Education Officer, Vice President, President and up until today as immediate past President.  When holding these posts, and those held throughout her professional career in the NHS and Community sector Tess has demonstrated exceptional professional performance, drawing on her expertise and use of her professional judgement in enabling her to make effective and strategic decisions often in difficult circumstances leading to successful outcomes and the delivery of change both within the Association and the wider profession.

Throughout her professional career she has nurtured and developed many pharmacy technicians always guiding and supporting them to reach their full potential. She is always there to listen and give advice when there are concerns, worries or anxieties. Many pharmacy technicians today have reached the top of their profession through Tess’s support and guidance. Tess’s specialism as an Educationalist has been instrumental in shaping our professional qualifications and upholding the highest standards.

Tess has always championed collaborative working and has been instrumental in influencing decisions at local, National and European level, as demonstrated by her active participation on the Board of the European Pharmacy Technician Association, the DoH Rebalancing and Supervision Committees, RPS, GPhC to name but a few, where she is well respected, communicates effectively and acts in a professional manner, and with integrity at all times.”

APTUK Board of Directors, independently score each of the nomination received and the outcome and result is verified at a Board meeting.    Those Directors with a conflict of interest are excluded from the process.

 

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