A pharmacy student from Altnagelvin Hospital has won a top award and the opportunity to showcase her research at a prestigious symposium in November.
Colette Lynch researched new ways to help visually impaired patients understand and correctly administer their medication.
She worked with organisations such as the RNIB, lead clinical and specialist pharmacists, a consultant ophthalmologist and p
atients to catalogue areas which could be improved.
Last month she presented her project to a delegation at NICPLD (Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development) and will now go on present her project at the UCKPA Winter Symposium in November.
She said: “I was delighted to be told that I had won the award. The need for this work had been highlighted both by the Audit Commission and through discussion at the Trust’s Patients’ Forum. The main objectives were to improve the labelling for eye drops, to produce a new eye drop dosing information card, and to produce larger font patient information leaflets. Feedback from all involved was very positive, particularly since patients had raised previous concerns about their medicines.”
Ms Anne Fr iel, Head of Pharmacy Services with the Western Trust said: “I am pleased that Colette has received the recognition she deserves for all her hard work. Her research makes an important contribution to the evidence base needed to ensure that patients are able to get the best from their medicines. Colette is a worthy winner and her work, and this recognition, reflects well the Western Trust's objective of promoting and developing the field of pharmacy practice research.”
