By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L-R): Daragh Connolly, president, Irish Pharmacy Union; Nick Hewer TV presenter; and Tony Hynds, managing director, Actavis
Nick Hewer of the BBC’s The Apprentice and Channel 4’s Countdown fame, this week launched a new bursary to support pharmacy businesses.
The Actavis Academy Training and Mentoring Bursary has been developed to assist pharmacy businesses to access training and mentorship in order to be leaner, faster and stronger.
Pharmacies around the country are invited to apply for a €5,000 training bursary and a two-day mentoring workshop with Bobby Kerr, Irish entrepreneur and businessman and presenter of Newstalk’s ‘Down to Business’ show. The bursary is supported by the Irish Pharmacy Union.
Entrants are asked to provide a 500-word overview outlining how they see their pharmacy business evolving over the next five years to better service staff, customers and the wider community.
The training bursary can be spent on any subject related to the business of pharmacy depending on the specific needs and requirements of the pharmacy business.
In recent years, the remit of the pharmacy has changed radically with the provision of new services such as emergency contraception and the delivery of the flu vaccine programmes.
Nick Hewer
Speaking at the launch, Nick Hewer said: “With declining medicine prices and greater competition in the market place, now more than ever, pharmacists need to look at how they can diversify their offering to remain competitive and profitable. The local pharmacist is a vital element of the fabric of communities around Ireland and there are many lessons that can be learnt from the retail and other sectors to enhance the customer experience.”
He continued: “Through the Actavis Academy Training and Mentoring Bursary, pharmacists will be able to avail of training and mentoring in order to upskill their teams for future growth. I would encourage all pharmacies to apply for the bursary.”
Tony Hynds, managing director, Actavis Ireland, added: “Actavis is committed to competition in the Irish market and a leaner, faster, stronger model built on service reliability and excellent customer service. As part of this we strive to support all facets of pharmacy in Ireland, including helping pharmacists reach their training goals. That is why we have developed this programme, which offers both a bursary for training and two days of business mentorship from Bobby Kerr.”
IPU president Daragh Connolly also noted: “The IPU is delighted to be partnering with Actavis Academy on this bursary award. Continuing education is now more important than ever for both pharmacists and their staff to ensure they are up-to-date on clinical and business best practice. This bursary will support a pharmacy in developing their staff and their business to offer the best possible health outcomes and service to their patients and customers.”
Entries can be submitted to the Actavis Academy Training and Mentoring Bursary, 6 Ely Place, Dublin 2 or by email to actavisbursary@ogilvy.com. Deadline for submissions is 5pm, October 31st.
