South Down Alliance MLA Andrew McMurray meets with Community Pharmacy NI at Clough Pharmacy
The South Down Alliance MLA Andrew McMurray recently met with pharmacist Tim Corrie and other representatives for Community Pharmacy NI at the medical centre in Clough to learn about the valuable work community pharmacists are doing and the pressures facing the sector. Community Pharmacy NI represents community pharmacists across Northern Ireland.
McMurray said: “It was great to visit pharmacist Tim Corrie and other representatives for Community Pharmacy NI.
“Community is no understatement as pharmacists very often know the patients and their requirements extremely well.
“This is down in no small part to the continuity of engagement that comes with repeat prescriptions.
“Pharmacists are very often the first port of call when it comes to ailments and, after a consultation with a GP has taken place, are often able to give further advice as to how explaining the practicalities of the medicines prescribed.
“Due to the rural nature of our area and constituency, community pharmacies provide an easy access point to which avail of services which can in turn ease the pressures on the surgeries.
“More and more pharmacists can now prescribe for a number of ailments and many health programmes are run from community pharmacies.
“That said, pharmacies face their own pressures in providing the services that they do.
“Going forward I look forward to meeting and engaging with pharmacists across the constituency to ensure that I can give my support to their work, which in turn helps relieve stress on our health system across the sector.”
