In many ways already a veteran of community pharmacy, having spent nearly the past seven years with O'Kanes Chemists as a student on Saturdays and during the summer holidays, Aine O'Kane's professional excellence and success belies her 26 years.

Aine studied Pharmacy at John Moore University in Liverpool but has devoted her years in practice to a Northern Ireland dispensary which she still thoroughly enjoys and her enthusiasm for the profession is already paying dividends.

Aine was presented with the Young Community Pharmacist of the Year Award at the third annual Pharmacy in Focus Awards back in January in recognition for her outstanding achievements in pharmacy, particularly in service delivery. While many young pharmacists become involved with the provision of pharmaceutical care through services early on in their careers, few have researched, established, promoted and continue to manage their own clinics.

As a healthcare professional with an entrepreneurial and innovative mind, Aine is very actively involved in continuing to identify the pharmacy as an integral promoter of health education. She has strongly supported the delivery of extended pharmacy services within the rural community of Draperstown. Aine has also engaged particularly well with the area's local groups and organisations, having delivered a number of workshops to local migrant workers.

'Some of the topics we looked at included smoking cessation, skincare and dermatology, flu vaccinations and blood pressure monitoring,' she explained. 'These were also excellent opportunities to signpost local workers to other sources of healthcare provision and information, as well as encouraging them to visit our pharmacy for services. Many also enrolled in the extended services provided in our pharmacy if they were not already known to us. I have also been involved in delivering talks to local schools and community groups on various healthy living topics.
 
'For No Smoking Day we organised a poster competition for children of the local primary schools, with was a great way to involve the younger generation and raise awareness among parents too!'

Aine also took on sole responsibility for organising and managing the pharmacy's high volume of weekly dispensing and, through giving each of these patients a great deal of consideration and time to ensure that they were taking their medicines correctly, ensured that this process runs smoothly.

Aine's charitable nature has also found room to develop within a pharmacy setting. Having played a central role in co-ordinating charity coffee mornings, she has not only raised awareness locally of different types of cancer but Aine also offered a very sociable and enjoyable experience for her customers.

However, one of her most impressive achievements is chairing the area's Pharmacy Locality Group and in doing so it has helped to establish her as a local ambassador for the profession. 'In this role Aine has even organised a series of training events for the pharmacists in the group which contributed towards CPD,' explained pharmacy manager Sharon Diamond. 'Aine is always willing to help everyone including pharmacy colleagues and is extremely obliging to all staff and customers. This often includes dispensing medicines out of hours and this has helped to strengthen our loyal customer base.'

At present O'Kane's Chemist are involved in a BCPP project in conjunction with Praxis Mental Health Group. The project is an outreach support group for men, which aims to work in partnership with the pharmacist, provide a community support group that addresses the health and wellbeing of vulnerable male individuals, known to Praxis Care and possible new members within the Magherafelt and Cookstown district council areas.

'The program will involve twelve pharmacy led sessions that will address the needs identified by the target group of 8-16 men, Praxis and the pharmacist,' Aine added. 'Delivery of the program aims to increase the capacity, skills and confidence of the target group. It plans to increase the awareness of the inequalities faced by men who live with mental illness.' One to one support sessions with the pharmacist and others, provide tailored advice and information to the target group.

'In the run up to the Awards ceremony the staff had been informing customers of my nomination and decorated the shop with banners and balloons,' Aine recalled. 'Their support was so encouraging and it gave the shop a real air of excitement. I was delighted when my name was announced as winner of the Young Pharmacist of the Year award. My colleagues and I had a wonderful night at the ceremony and thanks is owed to all those involved in making it such a memorable evening.

'It was great to come back into work the following Monday after the Awards to share the excitement with the rest of my pharmacy team. Pfizer, who sponsored my award, very generously donated a grant to my pharmacy education. I am currently researching courses for this grant. I have a keen interest in complementary medicines and feel this is an area on which I would like to build my expertise.

'We stock a wide range of herbal remedies in our pharmacy and public interest in this field is ever-increasing. Draperstown is such a close-knit community and customers were so delighted for me and O'Kane's Chemist to be recognised for such a prestigious award. Customers came into the pharmacy to acknowledge my win and left cards and messages of congratulations, which were proudly displayed in the shop alongside my Chemi!'

As a community pharmacist, Aine maintains that her ambition is of the utmost importance. 'Striving to constantly improve patient care and health promotion in the community is a key element to our role,' she said. 'It is a privilege to be part of a profession with such a developing role. Not only are pharmacists able to help people with the supply of their medication, but we are now able to provide a number of services to the community.

'It is such a rewarding feeling that in a rural setting, very often pharmacists are the first point of contact to a primary healthcare professional that a small community have. This is demonstrated through the large numbers of patients who access the minor ailments, smoking cessation and medicines management schemes in O'Kane's Chemist.

'Winning the award was a personal triumph for me but I am very aware that without the support of my pharmacy team, none of this would have been possible.'