Campaign letter for RPS elections 2021: Ciara Marie Duffy on calling for quality in pharmacy

With a background in community, hospital, technical and regulatory pharmacy, I am standing for election as I will bring multivariate experience to the English Pharmacy Board.

As a quality assurance pharmacist and an eligible Qualified Person, I have developed a range of skills which has enabled me to gain detailed and current knowledge of regulatory affairs, and an ability to navigate relevant pharmaceutical law.

I utilise a pragmatic approach, coupled with my use of risk assessment, which facilitates problem-solving and strategy development.

I have clinical expertise in NHS settings but I believe my unique strength is my focus in technical aspects of pharmacy, which also encompasses research and medicines safety.

However, my passion is for quality and I strongly believe quality of medicines is the responsibility of all pharmacists.

Quality of patient care is optimised by ensuring staff wellbeing is supported. When staff are engaged and work-life balance is encouraged, I believe this results in healthy staff, who are happy and focused on patient centric care.

Quality of medicines as I believe each of us as a pharmacist is responsible for assuring quality and safe use of medicines, regardless of field of practice.

Quality leadership and interpersonal skills to ensure we can influence decisions made on behalf of members, and educate those outside the profession about the diversity and skill set that a career in pharmacy offers.

Quality for RPS members by ensuring a culture of inclusivity and diversity, that membership fees are well spent and that we as a society have a clear vision for pharmacists in the future.

Quality of education as this is critical from undergraduate through to retirement and beyond.

The issues encountered around the cold chain storage of vaccines has highlighted that many pharmacists are not comfortable making decisions on the safe use and administration of medicines.

We need to ensure the undergraduate programme and post-qualification training incorporates formulation, manufacture, medicines safety and quality elements, thereby equipping pharmacists with the skill set to make informed decisions in these areas.

After all, if we as pharmacists don’t know about safe use of medicines, then who does?

Ciara Marie Duffy, election candidate, English pharmacy board, Royal Pharmaceutical Society