In the first of a series of interviews with pharmacy's bright, young talent, Independent Community Pharmacist profiles Joanne Hope from Barnton Pharmacy in Scotland who wants to see the clinical side of community pharmacy’s role increase and more autonomy given to pharmacists to prescribe…

Where did you study and what year did you qualify as a pharmacist?

I’m from Edinburgh, studied at Strathclyde University and graduated as a pre-reg in 2013, qualifying in 2014. I completed my practice certificate in independent prescribing in February 2020.

What makes the pharmacy you work in so special to the local community?

At Barnton Pharmacy we pride ourselves on providing a personal service. We treat every patient as though they are a member of our family. We care about each and every individual, making certain that our customers are not treated as a number.

Tell us a little about the area where you are based and the types of patients who come to you.
We are positioned in a fairly affluent area on the outskirts of Edinburgh City Centre. Close to Scotland’s capital city but with a community feel. Due to our location, we act like a community hub, almost an extended family.

We have a high number of elderly patients in ‘retirement living’ along with some new, young families.

Give one example of how you and your pharmacy have gone the extra mile in the name of patient care.

It’s impossible to provide one single example. We go above and beyond every single day, doing everything we can to support people and make a difference. Many of our patients are vulnerable.

They have been on their own, without family living locally during the pandemic and look to us for care and reassurance. We take that responsibility very seriously.

What are your hopes for the future of your profession?

I would like us to continue to progress the clinical element of our role, increasing the amount of autonomy given to pharmacists to prescribe.

At Barnton Pharmacy we use our prescribing qualifications to run a pharmacy first plus clinic. This is critical if we are going to adequately support GPs to ​provide patient care, relieve pressure on the NHS and make healthcare more accessible.

All our team here undergo training as part of their development to ensure that they continue to increase their competence and confidence, whatever their role. As the pharmacy manager, as well as a pharmacist, I recognise the importance of investing in our people.

Providing them with protected learning time is essential. Retaining the wonderful, talented people that we have working within our pharmacy is essential to the smooth running of our service and our progression.

I am keen to make sure our industry is as attractive as possible, to encourage the young people to our profession and making the workplace a rewarding, fun place to be is critical to the future success of pharmacy.

I also hope that there is recognition that we need to invest in educating the public. As it becomes harder to see a GP face to face, we become that point of contact. It is necessary to manage the longstanding expectation that prescriptions will be available immediately. As pressure on GPs has increased, patients understand and to a degree accept this. The same tolerance doesn’t seem to exist for pharmacy.

What concerns do you have for the future of community pharmacy?

As pressure increases on pharmacy teams, that the attractiveness of the profession doesn’t decline. That we are still able to attract the very best of young people in the future.

The demand on our time has been further compounded over the last two years due to changes in peoples working patterns, working from home, closer to their local pharmacy, reduced availability for face-to-face appointments with GPs alongside no change in expectation from patients.

Ideally our ability to plan implementation of any changes should not be compromised due to time restrictions.

A career in pharmacy is both challenging and rewarding. Being in the heart of the community gives us the opportunity to build a rapport with our patients and have a positive impact on their lives and their healthcare. 

Joanne Hope is an Alphega Pharmacy member.