Published in News on Monday 28 November 2011

Alliance Healthcare Pharmacy Awards 2011

On Thursday, 24 November 2011 over 500 delegates from the world of pharmacy and healthcare gathered to celebrate excellence and innovation in their field at the annual Alliance Healthcare Pharmacy Awards ceremony. The event was held at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London.

The awards recognised the achievements of pharmacists and manufacturers from across the supply chain in fifteen categories. Winners were chosen by an independent judging panel of experts from the industry.
Each year the award categories evolve in order to ensure they remain relevant and reflective of our business and the industry. New categories this year included regional Community Pharmacy of the Year awards, covering England, Scotland and Wales.

The evening was hosted by comedian and actor Alexander Armstrong, who introduced and presented the awards.

Jeremy Main, Managing Director, Alliance Healthcare, welcomed delegates and commented on the continued evolution of the awards, saying: “Each year we aim to champion the leaders and inspirational figures from not only our long standing pharmacy customers and manufacturer partners but also the rising stars of the future. The face of pharmacy continues to change and presents us all with many challenges. This year’s categories allow us to recognise those that have truly evolved and embraced their role, making a real difference to their pharmacy’s service offering to customers way beyond dispensing.”

Mike Smith, Chairman, Alliance Healthcare, commented on behalf of the judging panel, about the excellent standards of the award entries in 2011, saying: “The event would not be what it is today without the continued enthusiasm and efforts of all our entrants. Our pharmacy awards are designed to recognise the key areas that make community pharmacy successful; and we feel that all of our shortlisted entries and overall winners are shining examples to the rest of the pharmacy and healthcare community.”

On the evening a charity raffle was held in support of three charities backed by Alliance Healthcare and its employees: Clic Sargent – Caring for Children with Cancer, Leonard Cheshire Disability and The Prostate Cancer charity.

 Pharmacy Awards

Winner:  Lifetime Achievement Award
 John Preddy

The Lifetime Achievement award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the world of community pharmacy.

John Preddy qualified in 1955 after serving an apprenticeship with Boots in Gloucester.  He joined the register of pharmaceutical chemists in 1955. He started his career working for a company called Ortho, moving on to manage a brand called Carter’s Little liver pills for a company called Cox  pharmaceuticals in Brighton, now the generic house Actavis. John acquired his first pharmacy in 1961 and he has served his local community from this site for 50 years –an event celebrated in July this year. He now operates 11 pharmacies based around Sussex and the West of England. He contributes much to his local community –from past deputy leader of the county council and Rotary International district councillor to Father Christmas for local charities.

Winner:   English Community Pharmacy of the Year
Chris Roberts, Warburton’s Chemist, Fleetwood

Warburton’s is the epitome of what the pharmacy of the future should be. As a family business they have worked tirelessly to cement their pharmacy as a centre of excellence for pharmacy services in their community. They have established a strong professional working relationship with their local community pharmacy colleagues and most importantly become a key player in the local pathfinder commissioning consortia. They have professionally supported the local practice and in fact all the practices in the town including the new urgent care centre to develop medicines management and cost effective prescribing principles. This has resulted in a mutual professional respect for the contribution Pharmacy can make in improving patient care and health outcomes. This pharmacy has been and will continue to be at the cutting edge of developments in our profession.

Steve is a great ambassador for the profession in Wales and has fought hard over many years to make sure that pharmacy takes its rightful seat at the table of primary healthcare. His pharmacy provides a huge range of added value services with a focus on the frail and elderly and is complemented by a therapy centre. He is a qualified supplementary and independent prescriber and this has led to the provision of a unique service in collaboration with the local community drug and alcohol team.

A true multidisciplinary approach to a shared care clinical management plan of stable clients that has proven the value of community based pharmacy services for the convenience of patients and improved outcomes in this at risk group. Steve sets a fantastic example to his colleagues in Wales as an innovator and leading light in his profession.

Winner:  Scottish Community Pharmacy of the Year
Leanne Carey and Sally Arnison, Barnton Pharmacy, Edinburgh

The judging panel unanimously agreed that Barnton Pharmacy is an exemplar case study of a pharmacy that utilises an inspired and highly skilled team that is totally focused on meeting the needs of the community it serves. Our winners have invested in their premises, IT, capability and engaged with other local health professionals to deliver a range of innovative services. These include a hearing clinic, an Alzheimer’s risk assessment clinic, flu vaccination, weight management and a range of testing services which have provided sustainable new income streams in addition to growing their core business.

 Winner:   Community Pharmacy of the Year
 Leanne Carey and Sally Arnison, Barnton Pharmacy, Edinburgh

Barnton pharmacy offers a wide range of services to the elderly affluent community that it serves. Two independent prescribing pharmacists work with a team lead by a most able dispensing technician. The environment in which they work is of the highest quality and sets an example of the way forward for community pharmacy. They have fully embraced the new contract and offer a full range of NHS services.
The pharmacy is set apart by the wide range of private services offered – these are specifically tailored to the needs of the community they serve. These pharmacists have a passion for pharmacy which shines through in everything they do. Their business has grown through hard work and the best possible care for their patients.

Winner:  Alphega Pharmacy UK Pharmacy of the Year
Ani and Rena Patel, Savages Pharmacy, Burnham-on-Crouch

Ani and Rena have best demonstrated the five Alphega Pharmacy values in their work, both in service to their community and in partnership with Alphega Pharmacy.

From the moment this couple joined Alphega Pharmacy, they have really embraced the Alphega Pharmacy concept. They have listened carefully to advice and then implemented significant changes to improve and grow their retail business.

They have made full use of the Alphega Pharmacy branding opportunities and have invested in a new external fascia as well as a brand new consultation room. They scored really highly on their mystery shopper scores, are delivering excellent prescription performance and have taken on the GPs to thwart 100 hour contract applications.

Winner:   Retail Pharmacy of the Year (sponsored by Actavis)
John Connolly, Deans Pharmacy
  
The Retail Pharmacy of the Year award seeks to recognise community pharmacies which have demonstrated a dedication to providing excellent customer service, through a commitment to putting the needs of their customers first.

John has relocated and fitted out his pharmacy with a new purpose built modern pharmacy, targeted specifically at Pharmacy retailing and professional service provision. The pharmacy has used information technology to good effect within its marketing strategy, all to ensure access to medical provision and a positive customer experience.

Furthermore the pharmacy has demonstrated significant increases in both retail sales and prescription numbers, despite strong competition nearby.

 Winner:   Multiple Pharmacy of the Year 
 Kamson’s Pharmacy, Crawley

The Multiple y, WishawPharmacy of the Year award has demonstrated strength in all of Alliance Healthcare’s core value areas; Service, Trust, Entrepreneurship, Partnership and Simplicity.

Kamson’s Pharmacy has been selected by the panel through demonstrating how a pharmacy can really raise the bar within its community. The pharmacy offers a clinical pharmacy and medical supply to Hospice, services to a detention centre and has become a supplementary prescriber for supervised consumption. This commitment also extends to the on-going development of the pharmacy team, which has been demonstrated through training and effective delegation to support the wide range of services offered.

The pharmacy’s increased business as well as those of the businesses it works with, clearly demonstrates how pharmacy services can be extended beyond the pharmacy premises to add value benefiting all stakeholders. As well as how pharmacy can play a leading role in delivering the Governments healthcare agenda.

Winner  Future of Pharmacy Student Award in association with BPSA
Ranveer Bassey, University of Reading

This year this prestigious award in collaboration with the BPSA is awarded to the pharmacy student who had the best understanding and response to the question ‘the future of wholesale pharmaceutical organisations in delivering the government healthcare agenda through community pharmacy’. And the winner had a clear understanding of the importance of adding value to the efficient and effective supply chain function in supporting better patient care and better patient outcomes. And I quote “a reliable medicine supply chain is the critical link between the manufacturer and community pharmacy and ultimately the patient. True partnership working is key to realise the governments agenda and with a mutual respect for each other’s areas of expertise to deliver high quality pharmaceutical care to patients,

Winner: Community Pharmacy Technician of the Year (Sponsored by Almus Pharmaceuticals)
Anita Russell, Pharma Pharma Smoking Cessation, Canvey Island

Anita really is in a class of her own, she demonstrates true care and compassion for the customers of Pharma Phama and is often known to go that extra mile visiting patients at home and arranging for prescriptions to be changed by the doctor to ensure patients get the critical medication they need. She really cares about her community and two years ago when Pharma Pharma was selected as partner of choice by South East Essex PCT to offer the smoking cessation service she was motivated to further develop her skills and trained to deliver the smoking cessation programme. As an ex-smoker herself and someone who had close family members who have also given up smoking through the programme she does not judge her patients and shares  her own experiences to give people the confidence to believe they too can quit, and has achieved a staggering 34% success rate.  Anita fully acknowledges that her success in delivering such great care to her community in Canvey Island is attributed also to the great colleagues that she works with.

Winner:  Hospital Pharmacy Innovation Award
Adriani Orlandi, Pharmacy Distribution Centre, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Three years ago the Greater Glasgow Health Board decided to radically change the way pharmaceuticals were procured and distributed to their hospitals. They centralised the service by opening a state of the art pharmacy distribution centre, replacing 14 pharmacy stores. This led to a dramatic reduction in process costs, stock holding and error rates whilst improving the quality of the service.
 
Over the past two years KPI’s have been introduced and ‘lean’ principles employed resulting in a new night shift that has ensured that replenishment of stock does not impact the order picking processes.
 This has significantly reduced non pick error rates in the operation, leading to a 77% reduction in customer service calls and e-mails from their 4500 delivery points.

Winner:   Ethical Manufacturer of the Year: 
Pfizer

Pfizer cntinues to be at the forefront of working in partnership with Pharmacies, delivering market leading service levels and training. Their Healthy Partnerships programmes continue to show their commitment to Pharmacists and their recent NMS workshop will help over 3000 Pharmacists to develop tools and skills required to effectively implement the new service in their pharmacies

‘ Mr Manek from East Chemist said: “I value consistency more than anything else and Pfizer is the most consistent supplier out there”

Winner:   Health & Beauty Manufacturer of the Year 
Reckitt Benckiser

The winning company has been recognised for their up weighted support for the Pharmacy channel, providing innovation and investment in Pharmacy only medicines. Providing excellent quality and delivery of their product knowledge training, designed to enhance counter staff awareness of the core OTC categories that matter for Pharmacy. Their quality sales teams from National Account Management through to Field Sales provide real value for Pharmacy.

A Pharmacist at Barnton Pharmacy said: “Overall, Reckitts provide excellent training, from face to face training through Alphega Pharmacy through to their investment in training pharmacists about a new product when one is launched.”

Winner:   Generics Manufacturer of the Year 
Almus Pharmaceuticals

It has been yet another very turbulent year in the generic’s industry, characterised by market shortages, off patent launches and of course, further category M price reductions.
  
Almus Pharmaceuticals this year has continued to grow their range of generic products, now to over 300 presentations, whilst maintaining industry leading service levels and competitive pricing.
 
Pharmacists were particularly impressed by Product availability, innovation and their understanding of Pharmacy needs’.
 
Mr Esmail, from Jubichem Pharmacy said: “I like Almus packaging and product range. I never have any delivery issues and product availability is very good. I also like the service I receive from telesales. They are very friendly and always willing to help.”

Winner:   Surgical Manufacturer of the Year 
Roche Diagnostics

Roche Diagnostics are innovative and proactive in their support of Pharmacy, providing a dedicated team of field specialists who provide training along with a dedicated customer phone support team. Their high quality in-store Point of Sales materials help to drive foot fall and sales. They continue to create tailored Pharmacy promotions and provide support for pharmacy services which includes Screening services’

The pharmacist at Healthways Chemist said: “Roche have great customer service, calls always get answered promptly and we always receive a friendly, can do attitude from whoever we speak to. Also, we find that when dealing with them directly, we always get what we ask for without any hassle, compared to other Manufacturers.”

For more information please contact:

Victoria Ferrier, PR Manager, Alliance Healthcare:
Tel: 020 3044 8565, Mail: victoria.ferrier@alliance-healthcare.co.uk