Sussex pharmacy teams take roadshow across county for World Pharmacy Week

Pharmacy staff working in mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental services across Sussex are taking part in a hospital roadshow to mark World Pharmacy Week.

World Pharmacy Week runs from 19 to 25 September, with World Pharmacists Day taking place on Friday, 25 September.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust employs 76 pharmacy staff across a range of roles, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants, medicines safety specialists and administrators.

They work alongside multidisciplinary teams in inpatient, community and urgent care services to help make sure medicines are safe, appropriate and effective for patients.

As part of this year’s celebrations, the Trust’s pharmacy roadshow is visiting Langley Green Hospital in Crawley, the Department of Psychiatry in Eastbourne, Meadowfield in Worthing and Mill View in Hove.

The events will give staff, service users and families the chance to speak directly with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, find out more about their work and give feedback on what the service is doing well and where improvements could be made.

The pharmacy team is also sharing stories on social media to highlight the range of roles available and encourage more people to consider careers in pharmacy.

Isaac Otomewo, Lead Pharmacist for Physical Health at Sussex Partnership, said: “Behind every prescription is a team of pharmacy professionals working to improve patient safety, optimise treatment, and tackle health inequalities. I am proud to be part of a profession that combines clinical expertise, innovation and collaboration to improve the lives of the people we serve.”

Clinical Pharmacy Lead and Doctoral Researcher Jules Haste said: “I help patients understand their medicines, discuss benefits and side effects, and ensure their voices are heard when decisions about treatment are made.”

Grant Salvage, Lead Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber, said his role includes working alongside crisis clinicians and patients in their own homes.

He said: “I work alongside crisis clinicians and patients in their own homes to stabilise acute symptoms quickly, manage side effects, and provide immediate, compassionate care when patients need it most.”

This year, Sussex Partnership is also hosting its own internal pharmacy trainees, including two foundation trainee pharmacists and two pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians.

Carol-Anne Davies-Jones, Deputy Chief Pharmacist and Head of Pharmacy Workforce at Sussex Partnership, said: “Our pharmacy team is made up of highly skilled, innovative professionals who make a real difference to patient care every day.

“By investing in education, development and research, we are nurturing future pharmacy professional leaders and equipping our workforce with the expertise and skills needed to improve services and deliver the best possible outcomes for the communities we serve.”

Dr Oliver Dale, Chief Medical Officer at Sussex Partnership, said pharmacy staff were an integral part of the Trust’s services.

He said recent changes included the introduction of electronic prescribing, allowing prescriptions to be sent directly to patients’ pharmacies.

“Our pharmacy colleagues are an integral part of our service, bringing vital expertise to patients, carers and colleagues,” he said.

“The pharmacy team continue to adapt and modernise, to ensure that we provide people with a reliable and patient friendly service.”

More information about Sussex Partnership and its services is available through the Trust’s website, along with details of career opportunities.

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