5 ANNADALE AVENUE
BELFAST BT7 3JH
028 9065 6576

Work of the UCA

Promoting the interests of community pharmacies since 1901... from employment issues & training, to business resources & lobbying

REPRESENT

SDLP Conf 2011Leadership – The UCA-NI Board is made up of 2 former UCA Executive Committee members and 2 Community Pharmacy NI Board members and provides strategic guidance for the organisation. The Board and Staff of UCA-NI are currently delivering on the 3-year transition set out in the merger agreement between Ulster Chemists' Association and CPNI.

Partnerships – UCA-NI has strategic partnerships with a number of organisations with the aim of increasing the profile of pharmacy within the wider community and health sectors. UCA-NI provides administrative and project co-ordination for social enterprise PACT (Primarycare and Community Together) which is developing successful integrated health & wellbeing services. UCA-NI UCA maintains close links with other professional bodies, academia as well as trade and business colleagues.

Government - UCA-NI pursues issues impacting on community pharmacy in Northern Ireland, both professionally and within the industry, responding to consultations and engaging in discussions on matters relating to the pharmacy profession or business.

SUPPORT

SupportAdvice & Signposting - for a wide range of pharmacy issues and general enquiries, the office team are available to source or search for information for members.

Education and Training – UCA-NI liaises with various education and training providers. We arrange or promote training and information events to help members keep staff up to date on various topics and to provide Continual Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for pharmacists.

Foundation Training Year Support – UCA-NI liaises with all UK Schools of Pharmacy and engages with undergraduates, ahead of the application process. During the placement year, we offer an excellent training programme, complementary to the NICPLD programme, covering a wide range of topics essential to developing confident and competent community pharmacists.

Locum Online – This is a useful tool for pharmacies to secure cover and for locum pharmacists to share details of their availability.

Business Services & Tools – UCA-NI facilitates or promotes information evenings on various business topics, The UCA office team keeps members informed on important issues from new legislation to scams and other matters of relevance to community pharmacy, e.g., EU Exit & NI Protocol. We also offer a range of employer documents plus details of useful contacts and suppliers to pharmacy, from utilities and services to stationery...

If you are a service provider who may be able to offer preferential deals, please get in touch.

COMMUNICATE

PIF cover Oct 2013In order to ensure that our members don't feel isolated and are kept up to date with matters affecting the sector, it is vital that we communicate well and provide opportunities for our members and their staff to network.

UCA Local – the UCA facilitates local networking groups for pharmacists to get together regularly to share issues and ideas, problems and solutions as well as CPD sessions. 

Email Alerts – urgent or important information is emailed to members or pharmacy teams as appropriate.

Publications - NI Pharmacy in Focus is our official publication and the only dedicated pharmacy magazine in NI. Our Diary & Yearbook is a vital reference guide for use in the dispensary or the office. Both these publications are designed and produced in conjunction with Profile Publishing.

Pharmacy in Focus Awards ceremony – UCA-NI endeavours to bring pharmacists closer together and what better way to do that, than its annual event and Pharmacy in Focus Awards ceremony. The Pharmacy in Focus Awards promote the commitment and successes of pharmacies and individuals from the community pharmacy and primary care sector throughout the year.

Promote & Share – As well as promoting pharmacy to the public through a variety of health campaigns, UCA-NI collaborates with support organisations and patient groups in relation to patient services and works to create a flow of information to pharmacy professionals.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Social responsibility has always been at the heart of community pharmacy from the largest groups, both national and local, to local independents in rural and urban areas. We all support our local communities, a unique selling point of community pharmacy and a benefit that should be highlighted with key stakeholders such as the public, our politicians and commissioners.

NICVA Award for UCA charity work with Aware 2008Pharmacy in Focus Awards – Pharmacy in Focus awards recognise and reward excellence in community pharmacy practice.

Social Enterprise – Ulster Chemists' Association represented community pharmacy in the development of a social enterprise model backed by the Minister for Trade and Industry and the Minister for Health. Primary Care and Community Together (PACT) - with the support of Invest NI, DETI and DoH(NI) is a socially responsible business model which, through interagency working - including government departments and the voluntary sector, places pharmacy in the centre of the economic wellbeing of the community it serves. UCA-NI continues to support PACT with project and administrative support.

Voluntary and Community Sector - UCA-NI works with a number of charitable and voluntary organisations to support information sharing and raise awareness of conditions and how community pharmacy can contribute. Our partnerships strengthen the link between community and pharmacy.

Contact

All enquiries should be directed to:

Adrienne Clugston

Operations Manager

adrienne@uca.org.uk

 

UCA Office

UCA-NI LTD
5 Annadale Avenue
BELFAST
BT7 3JH

Tel:  028 9065 6576

 

Office Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 9:00am -5:00pm