The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7244 p505
12 April 2003

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New education centre facility to be opened in London pharmacy

New education facilities are to be introduced by Greenlight Pharmacy in north London.

Pharmacist Tim O'Donoghue told The Journal that he currently offers seminars in the evenings after the pharmacy has closed. "This means after 7.30pm, which might not be a good time for the community," he explained. So, to overcome the problem, the pharmacy's basement is to be made into an educational centre with consulting rooms.

The idea is that different groups of people will be able to use the educational centre: it will not just be reserved for pharmacist-run sessions. Because the centre has been given this community focus, the scheme has been granted £75,000 of funding by the West Euston Partnership. The pharmacy is situated in a deprived area and the West Euston Partnership aims to regenerate the local area.

The scheme involves not only the refurbishment of the basement but also installing lift access for wheelchairs and a second entrance to the basement to allow independent access without going through the pharmacy. Building starts this month.

Mr O'Donoghue comments that the centre demonstrates the pharmacy's active role in the community and will encourage the public to appreciate the educational role pharmacists can provide.

Greenlight Pharmacy was featured in The Guardian newspaper on 9 April as a model community pharmacy. It highlights the pharmacy's clinical focus, such as not selling cosmetics and photographic goods, and the fact that the pharmacists spend 80 per cent of their time in front of the counter. A regular patient is quoted as saying: "Half the time, I think my doctor doesn't have time, whereas here they listen."