Leadership in Scottish Community pharmacy circles has been alive and kicking for some years now. The policy document 'The Right Medicine' published back in February 2002 was a seminal moment for Scottish community pharmacy and paved the way for the way pharmaceutical care has evolved north of the border. In the heady days just after Scottish devolution Chief Pharmaceutical Officier Bill Scott pushed through this plan to allow pharmacists and their teams in Scotland to allow patients in Scotland to realise the benefits of pharmaceutical care.
"The Right Medicine: a strategy for pharmaceutical care in Scotland" was published on 4 February. It aims to help people to get the maximum benefit from their medicines. It outlines the way in which pharmacists and the Scottish Executive will work with stakeholders to improve public health; provide better access to care; deliver better quality services for people; and develop the pharmaceutical profession."
So it seems appropriate that just over two decades on years on we chat with the boss of one of the community pharmacy chains that grew out of this period of Scottish political and community pharmacy history.
This interview is with Richard Stephenson. Richard has been Chief Operating Officer at Right Medicine Pharmacy for approximately 13 years. He is also Managing Director of the buying group Edinpharm and leads his own consultancy business, R5 Consult.
In addition to these roles Richard also gives his time voluntarily to a number of worthy causes not least his role as Trustee at the Children's Panel.
The team at Right Medicine Pharmacy began their journey in 2000 when business partners Jonathan Burton MBE and Noel Wicks took over the Campus Pharmacy at the University of Stirling. Since then the group has grown in size to 35 Pharmacies and over 250 team members. Right Medicine Pharmacy is now considered to be one of the most progressive and cutting-edge pharmacy service providers in Scotland.
References
Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates
Is the collaborative care model the next big thing in pharmacy?
Will pharmacy ever learn from its mistakes?
Will pharmacists be replaced by artificial intelligence?
Janice Perkins on how to lead in pharmacy
It's been a while...
Are patient group directions holding pharmacists back?
Debate: The Future of Community Pharmacy Screening services
The Aural Apothecaries
The future of pharmacists in research
Will robots be the death of community pharmacy?
Is advanced practice for pharmacists the answer to all our problems?
How to fail
The future role of the pharmacist in tackling the climate crisis: in conversation with Minna Eii
The future of Community Pharmacy: in conversation with Ade Williams
A pharmacist's experience of breast cancer
The future global pharmacist: in conversation with Dr Catherine Duggan
The future of Scottish Pharmacy: in conversation with the new Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland
What has a funeral director got to do with vaccinations?
Leyla Hannbeck on the future of the community pharmacy workforce
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Relaxback UK Show
Good Nurse Bad Nurse
On Call With Dr. Anselm Anyoha
The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D.
The Peter Attia Drive