The UK’s largest gathering of pharmacy professionals will take place on September 25-26 at NEC Birmingham.

This year’s Pharmacy Show, in association with Pfizer Healthy Partnerships, offers over 100 education sessions across eight conference streams, the opportunity to meet over 400 suppliers, network with over 8,000 colleagues, as well as hear presentations from industry leaders about key issues affecting the profession.

Pharmacy Magazine is a media partner for the Pharmacy Show 2016 and the sponsor of its Keynote Theatre programme. On the theme of ‘Pharmacy 2016 and Beyond’, keynote presenters will discuss the important topics currently facing the profession and debate the issues of the future. Government officials, regulatory and leadership organisations, entrepreneurs and grass roots pharmacists will all be speaking at the Keynote Theatre during the two-day conference.

 

 

Speakers and topics include:
• Contract updates from PSNC
• Integration fund information from NHS England
• Summary care record write access update from NHS Digital
• How pharmacy can support public health from Public Health England and the Royal Society for Public Health
• The national and local commissioning landscape from NHS England and Community Provider Support Services
• Regulation and standards update from the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Update on GP practice pharmacy and care homes pilots
• Question Time: If you could change one thing about pharmacy in the next 12 months, what would it be? This session will be chaired by PM editor Richard Thomas
• Debate Time: What does the future look like for multiples and independents?

The show organisers will distribute record aid templates for delegates to complete at the end of each session. This allows learning outcomes to be written up while fresh in the mind and enhance the learning process. After the show, an electronic attendance record will display all the sessions attended.

All the conference session aims and objectives will be available on the Pharmacy Show website beforehand so visitors can choose the sessions they want to attend based on their learning requirements and core competencies. All presentations (subject to presenter permissions) will be made available to attendees free of charge after the show.

The show has something for every member of the pharmacy community, says Babir Malik, pharmacist manager at HI Weldrick. “This will be my tenth year at the Pharmacy Show. I initially came as a student; now I come for continuing professional development and to network – I make so many contacts here.”

Meeting colleagues is also a key benefit for Peter Marks, chair of Community Pharmacy Greater Manchester. “For me, this show is all about networking. We represent a huge network of community pharmacists and with the devolution agenda in Manchester, it is even more important to share knowledge. Community pharmacists are an under-utilised resource and it is only by coming together at a show like this to share best practice and ideas that we can change that.”

Conference streams

This year’s other key conference streams are:

Pharmacy Business Academy
A programme of 30-minute ‘how to’ sessions with simple, top tips and practical advice that pharmacy professionals and business owners can take away and put into practice the next day. Marketing, improving efficiencies, motivating staff, time management, finance planning and increasing sales will all be high on the agenda.

Pharmacy Technology
Discover the latest technological advances and how to take advantage of them to deliver integrated services. Learn about the tools available to offer patients, get fully up to speed with the SCR and claiming EPS tokens, and learn how to maximise income.

PSNC Pharmacy Services Innovation Theatre
Inspiration and motivation around commissioned services, as well as a showcase for what community pharmacy is already achieving around the country. Topics include AF screening, discharge medicines reconciliation and early diagnosis of cancer.

Clinically Focused Care
This new workshop will deliver clinical updates and include the consultation and soft skills needed when managing patients with long-term conditions. Topics include asthma, an anaphylaxis workshop, blood pressure and opioid dependency.

Public Health and Wellbeing Forum
On the theme of ‘From illness to wellness’, this theatre will give visitors advice on running health and wellbeing clinics, as well as covering the why and how of healthy living pharmacies. Topics include point-of-care testing for AF and diabetes, mental health and early life nutrition.

RB4Health
A programme of short, sharp presentations covering solutions that include OTC brands to support patients to manage their own health. Practical self-care OTC mini presentations will cover dry eye, childhood fever, heartburn, headaches and skin care.

The Practice Pharmacy Hub
This new education feature will support pharmacists in the new GP practice-based role and offer advice to those keen to integrate community pharmacy with general practice. Run in association with the Primary Care Pharmacy Association, this session will cover topics such as how to integrate community and general practice services, how to set up a clinic in general practice, clinical services management in general practice and managing elderly patients on polypharmacy.