IPN 2022 October

48 AwardsA Rising Star in Pharmacy

Damien O’Brien, Adrian Dunne Pharmacy Baldoyle winner of the JPA Brenson Lawlor Young Community Pharmacist of the Year Award 2022

Damien has been the driving force in the promotion of public health services in his community. His commitment to his customers and wealth of knowledge has allowed Adrian Dunne Pharmacy in Baldoyle to flourish and become the main point of contact for health advice in Baldoyle.

Jason Bradshaw, Partner, JPA Brenson Lawlor with Damien O’Brien, Pharmacist, Adrian Dunne Pharmacy Baldoyle

His Superintendent Pharmacist comments, “Damien has a great ability to share and explain his medical knowledge with staff, meaning all our colleagues can actively improve the health and wellbeing of our customers and provide correct and safe information.”

During the COVID19 pandemic Damien was responsible for the coordination and administration of almost all vaccines. This was an immensely stressful time but due to Damien’s high level of communication and organisation the pharmacy staff were able to adapt to the increased pressure. He

made sure all staff were informed of any new updates regarding vaccine rollout so they could answer queries appropriately. He went above and beyond to make sure all his patients had access to these vaccines if they wished and contacted those of the highest priority.

He also offered other seasonal vaccines such as the flu vaccines. He has often visited the homes of those who are housebound in order to administer these. Damien played an active role in organising clinics for those people/children with additional needs, if they wanted to, they could come in during a quieter

time to make the process as comfortable as possible. He offered a range of other health services such as blood pressure monitoring, emergency hormonal contraception, BMI and antigen testing.

Damien’s ability to work well under pressure and make crucial decisions while maintaining a calm demeanour was pivotal in saving a patient’s life. A man presented to the pharmacy with wheeziness and shortness of breath, he then collapsed the ground. Damien immediately came to assistance, he assessed the scene and instructed one staff member to get

the defibrillator and another to ring an ambulance. Damien performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. Thankfully the patient survived- Damien was a true hero!

“Damien is a much-loved member of the Baldoyle community,” his Superintendent continues. “He has a very close relationship with all our customers and most will come to him first for advice and support before going to other healthcare professionals. Damien greets every patient with a smile and seizes every opportunity to positively impact their health.

“Engaging with the local community is very important to

Damien and he is very passionate about educating people on important health issues. He has organised talks with groups in the community which cover important topics such as Men’s Health.

Damien O’Brien, Pharmacist, Adrian Dunne Pharmacy Baldoyle

“Damien has been actively involved in charity events held by our pharmacy. These events have been a great way to bring the community together and put a smile on the faces of those who need it most. For example; He was involved in organising a sponsored walk for a 13-year-old patient of ours who was diagnosed cancer undergoing treatment in England.”

Damien also has a great working relationship with the local doctors, they trust and respect him and turn to him for any queries they might have.

Damien completed his preregistration year in Baldoyle 2017/18, he continued to work for Adrian Dunne for 2 and a half years before coming back to Baldoyle as a Support and then Supervising Pharmacist in 2021. His journey really reflects how hard-working and dedicated Damien is to the profession and how he has excelled as a pharmacist in such a short period of time. Damien took over as Supervising Pharmacist during the most stressful time in pharmacy history. The pandemic led to increased prescriptions, vaccine rollouts, staff shortages and legislation changes. Damien’s calm and reassuring approach guided us through these unprecedented times.

“Damien has had a very positive impact on our pharmacy and community since working in Baldoyle. His love for the profession and management has given our pharmacy the tools to excel in the services we provide. He keeps all staff members up to date with the latest pharmacy news and changes in legislation which was very important during the COVID pandemic so our staff could give the appropriate information to customers.

“He gives all OTC staff and pharmacy technicians over the counter and is always on hand for advice, ensuring our patients receive the safest and most effective care.

“He is actively involved in the development and confidence of our technicians especially during their Level 3 diploma. He loves sharing his own knowledge of the field to better the understanding of others and is always happy to help and answer any questions a member of staff or customer has.

“Since Damien has become the manager of Baldoyle it

has become a very enjoyable place to work. His high levels of organisation, communication and leadership has created a great working environment where we all have the potential to increase our skills, learn from one another and excel in our careers. This has led to an increased job fulfilment throughout the team.

“His dedication to putting the patient first, paired with his strong leadership skills has created a team who can confidently provide reliable and safe information and services to the public.”

Damien truly cares for the health and well being of others and does his best to positively impact their lives. They continue, “He plays a pivotal part in the Baldoyle community who we all turn to for advice and support. He works tirelessly even beyond the working day to come up with ways he can improve the services we provide and grow the business.

“His medical knowledge is second to none and his dedication to continual professional development means he can only keep growing as a great pharmacist. His communication, organisation and leadership skills make him the great Supervising Pharmacist he is. His friendly and caring personality make him very approachable for staff and customers, he definitely is a reason our patients always come back. Damien’s ability to work under pressure, making crucial decisions and meet deadlines all while maintaining a calm demeanour and ‘can-do’ attitude helps to create a great work environment. His commitment to educating others and furthering

their understanding of medicines not only increases our job satisfaction but makes our jobs that bit easier. His love for his job really shines through in his work and its evident in all decisions he makes to benefit his patients.

“Damien’s ability to administer 1200 vaccinations, manage a large pharmacy whilst still carrying out his duties as a pharmacist and his performance of CPR to a patient in need that resulted in saving the man’s life is outstanding.”

Damien said on the night, “I am very grateful to accept the JPA Brenson Lawlor Young Pharmacist of the Year Award. I am privileged to be chosen for this Award by the judging panel as these awards have showcased the enormous talent present in community pharmacy in this country.

“These Awards are particularly important as they emphasise the vital role that community pharmacy plays in the healthcare system. This has been particularly evident over the last couple of years, where pharmacies have kept their doors open and continued to provide an outstanding service to their patients.

“Although this may be classified as an individual award, I would view it as a team award. It gives recognition for all the hard work

that all my team members have contributed throughout the last number of years. I would also like to thank all the sponsors, particularly JPA Brenson Lawlor, for contributing to a great night and for all their support throughout the year.”

Partner with JPA Brenson Lawlor, Jason Bradshaw told us, “I would like to congratulate all the finalists of the Irish Pharmacy Awards 2022 and especially offer our congratulations to Damien, a very worthy recipient of this Award.

“The past two years have been incredibly difficult, but we have all seen how pharmacists are working hard to meet the needs of their patients. Young pharmacists have an ever-growing role and I have been able to meet many of them while providing business lectures to the pharmacy students at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). I have also had the pleasure of providing 1:1 meetings with interested first time buyer pharmacists in order to assist them with acquiring their first pharmacy.”