Congratulations to MOIC staff

Congratulations to MOIC staff

Congratulations to members of the MOIC team on graduating from the Safety Quality North Programme.

Claire Scullin, Rachel Huey and Catherine Goudy recently graduated at the event held in Tullyglass Ballymena.

The programme looked at projects such as developing new services, streamlining and improving processes, redesigning services to tailor them to the needs of service users, and improving communication. Guests had an opportunity to walk around the posters on display, and share learning on what changes and improvements their projects have led to whilst on SQN.

What Matters to You?

What Matters to You?

The MOIC team recently took time out to talk about “What Matters to You?”

The annual “What Matters To You?” Day (WMTY) Day takes place on Tuesday 6 June 2023. It is an annual celebration of putting people at the heart of their care or support. Asking “What Matters To You?” is about listening and understanding what really matters to people, including our patients, residents, service users, family members and our colleagues. WMTY conversations empower people to be involved in decisions about their own health and care.

In our team meeting we reflected on what matters most to individuals. Whilst everyone agreed that family, friends and loved ones matter most to us we also discussed how important the below factors are:

• Health
• Fitness
• Healthy ageing
• Sleep
• New experiences and challenges
• Fulfilment at work.

MOIC signs Pioneering Memorandum of Understanding with CPA

MOIC signs Pioneering Memorandum of Understanding with CPA

We are delighted to announce a transformative partnership with The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA).

Formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the partnership aligns with both the CPA and MOIC‘s strategic objectives. Our shared vision is to amplify our impact in the field of medicines optimisation, clinical pharmacy, and pharmaceutical care, facilitating knowledge transfer and exchange, and driving forward initiatives in training and development.

Victoria Rutter, Chief Executive Officer of the CPA, stated, “This exciting partnership underscores our unwavering commitment to empowering pharmacists in the Commonwealth and our dedication to enhancing health systems through supporting the safer and more effective use of medicines. This collaboration leverages the strengths of both organisations and creates opportunities for future shared learning and innovative approaches to optimising pharmacist-led use of medicines, particularly in lower resource settings.”

Speaking about the collaboration, MOIC Director, Prof Michael Scott MBE said: “The Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre (MOIC) is delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding. Through this MOU we are looking forward to working together to develop clinical pharmacy services and medicines optimization including antimicrobial stewardship with a number of countries within the Commonwealth. This demonstrates our commitment to build partnerships and collaborations globally and also bring learning back to Northern Ireland.

Paper Published in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

Paper Published in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

Professor Mike Scott is a co-author on a recently published paper on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic consumption and prevalence of pathogens in primary and secondary healthcare settings in Northern Ireland. The paper is published in full on the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology – Wiley Online Library.

The  aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the patterns of antimicrobial use and the incidence of pathogens in primary and secondary healthcare settings in Northern Ireland.

Data was collected on antibiotic use and Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens from primary and secondary healthcare settings in Northern Ireland for the period before (January 2015-March 2020) and during (April 2020-December 2021) the pandemic.

This study provides details of both changes in antibiotic consumption and the prevalence of infections in hospitals and primary care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic that emphasize the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in pandemic situations.

To read the paper in full click here.

iSIMPATHY Exhibit at ICIC

iSIMPATHY Exhibit at ICIC

Joanne Brown iSIMPATHY pharmacist recently travelled to Antwerp to display a poster on the iSIMPATHY project and how it had improved patient outcomes in Northern Ireland.

The iSIMPATHY project, funded by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, worked with professionals in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to comprehensively review patient medication. Taking multiple medicines can be problematic if the increased risk of harm from interactions between drugs, or between drugs and diseases, outweighs the intended benefits.

The 23rd International Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC23) overarching theme was ‘Care in action: how to work together, a participatory approach’. The conference brought together leaders, researchers, clinicians, managers, citizens, patients and caregivers from around the world who are engaged in the design and delivery of integrated health and social care. It was a fantastic opportunity to display the work and showcase Northern Ireland pharmacy.