Talking Geopolitics

A key area within which pharmacists and pharmacy at large can have a real positive impact is that of substance misuse, with this taking the form of more straightforward activities such as the provision of advice and support, through to more complex initiatives which centre on the provision of substitute substances, needle exchange, and more. In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast is joined by Johanne Barry (also from the School of Pharmacy), and Dr Denis O'Driscoll, Superintendent Pharmacist at LloydsPharmacy Ireland, to explore the topic of substance misuse, and the role which pharmacy can play in helping those affected by this issue. If you'd like to find out more about this topic, or access the resources referred to during this episode, check out the following links: Drugs.ie NHS Drug Addiction Information HSE Addiction Services EMCDDA NICE guidance on drug misuse Choice and Medication South London and Maudsley substance misuse service Drugs…

In the second of this two-part special centred on experiential learning (EL) placements within our MPharm programme here at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's, Dr Dan Corbett (Senior Lecturer (Digital Education) is joined by Fiona Hughes (Senior Lecturer (Education)), Prof. Sharon Haughey (Professor (Education), and Prof. Roisin O'Hare (Clinical Education Pharmacist Lead for Northern Ireland), who discuss EL from the practice supervisors viewpoint, including what they can take from these placements, what they can expect from the programme, how placements will work practically, and how they can prepare to welcome and work with placement students within their area of practice.

A key element of the MPharm programme here at Queen's are our experiential learning (EL) placements which students will undertake within both primary and secondary care pharmacy. We've recently significantly increased the time which our students will spend on placement during their degree, allowing them to put their learning into practice, and gain useful insights about professional practice in these sectors whilst learning from highly-trained professional pharmacists to an even greater extent, offering a range of benefits. In this edition of the podcast, Fiona Hughes (Senior Lecturer (Education), Patricia Holden (Senior Lecturer (Education), and Prof. Roisin O'Hare (Clinical Education Pharmacist Lead for Northern Ireland) will help you to find out more about why EL placements are so important, and if you're a student, let you know what you can expect your placments to be like, as well as how you can prepare fully to make the most out of them!

Research is one of the key activities which we undertake here at the School, and whilst the work that we do positively impacts patients lives directly, it also allows us to add to the vast range of academic literature out there which is related to our wide range of research themes. But, how does this research get out there, and is it all freely accessible so that other researchers and scientists can make the most of what we do to help them in what they do? In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Dr. Michael O'Connor (Research Data Librarian), Rebecca Clarke (Open Research Librarian), and Dr Sheiliza Carmali (Lecturer, School of Pharmacy), from Queen's University Belfast, as well as by Dr Jonny Coates, Associate Director at ASAPbio, who discuss how research publications make their way out into the world, and what is being done to make these more openly accessible, including via the publication of pre-prints! If you're interested in finding out more about the topics covered in this episode…

We're particularly proud of our alumni here at the School of Pharmacy, with our former students travelling the globe to undertake research, deliver education, and to undertake a range of other hugely impactful tasks, all of which make use of the knowledge, skills, and experience gained during their time as a student at Queen's. In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Professor Carmel Hughes, Chair of Primary Care Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy, and by two of her former postgraduate research students - Dr Ameerah Hasan Ibrahim, now an Assistant-Professor in Primary Care Pharmacy at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, and Dr Hoa Nguyen, now a Lecturer at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam! During the episode, you'll hear more about how both Ameerah and Hoa came to be undertaking the PhD study with Carmel at Queen's, about the research that they did, and how challenges such as the COVID pandemic provided both hurdles and opportunities for them both, which…

Our technical staff are at the heart of what we do at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's, across our teaching, research and more. But what do our technicians, and technical staff more generally do, and why is this so critical? How does a technical career start, and what are the development opportunities? In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Paula Coulter, Andrew Gray, and Áine McGuckin, all of whom are members of the Technical Team here at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's, and who have responsibilities supporting activities across the entirety of the School's portfolio, who'll speak more about the role of the technician, and how they entered into their technical careers. To find out more about the importance of technical staff at Queen's, including the Technician Committment, why not visit the Techicians at Queen's website?

Putting patients at the centre of their care is a key focus within the practice of pharmacy, bringing a range of benefits, including enhanced self-ownership of health, greater patient autonomy, and improvement in treatment/management outcomes. However, patient-centered care isn't without its challenges, and as such, it's important to consider key strategies which can allow pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to keep the patient at the centre of their own care, whilst ensuring that treatment remains, safe, effective, and evidenced-based. In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett discusses patient-centered care with Professor Sharon Haughey from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast, and Dr Joanne Brown, Clinical Education Pharmacist, both of whom are heavily involved in the education of student pharmacists, and the development of their skills in patient care.

In the second of two special PharmaCast episodes celebrating our Class of 2023, we're joined by Ellen Bickerstaff and Zara Dowds, both of whom are now graduates from our BSc programmes in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. In this edition of the podcast, Ellen and Zara discuss how they ended up studying on their chosen course, their experiences and opportunities during their time at the School of Pharmacy, how their work placement shaped their time at university and future career plans, and what those career plans are! To find out more about our Class of 2023, visit our website, or follow us on social media (@pharmacyatQUB)

In this special episode of PharmaCast, we're joined by two of our MPharm Class of 2023, Sean Dynes and Matthew Taylor, who in addition to receiving their MPharm degrees this summer, have also contributed to their degree programme in a range of ways, academically and socially. In this episode of the podcast, you'll hear about the experience that Sean and Matthew have had during their time on the course, from the challenges of COVID-19 to how the course has helped them as they embark on their careers in Pharmacy. You'll be able to find out more about our graduates via our website and social media channels (@pharmacyatQUB)!

One of the most-remembered experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic was undoubtedly the regular testing which we had to undertake whether we had symptoms of the infection or not, and before we'd see family, friends, or enter into populated environments - whilst this activity was unavoidable and absolutely necessary, it certainly wasn't enjoyable, and failed to provide us with a full picture of how the disease was spreading through the population, or the way in which it was doing so. During the pandemic, researchers at Queen's University Belfast came together to develop an innovative approach which allowed coronavirus levels to be detected via analysis of our wastewater, providing a wealth of information to public health agencies and beyond, and allowing for early and decisive action to be taken to prevent further spread. In this episode of PharmCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Professor Jenny McKinley from Queen's School of Natural and Built Environment, Professor John McKinley from the School of Biological…

Pharmacy research isn't just about creating new medicines and products, but crucially, it's also about being able to make sure that we can correctly use medicines, new and old, to bring about the best treatment for patients possible. In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Professor Carmel Hughes (Professor of Primary Care Pharmacy) and Dr Heather Barry (Lecturer in Primary Care Pharmacy) for a discussion around what primary care research is, how it's done, why it's a critical part of healthcare research, and some of the key findings that they've both made during their reseach careers to date! You can keep up to date with the primary care research taking place at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's via the team's Twitter feed (@QUBPrimaryCare), as well as on our research web pages, where you'll also be able to learn more about other research at the School!

In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Jonathan Coulter, Postgradute Director at the School of Pharmacy, is joined by Dr Niamh Buckley (Director of Internationalisation) and Huanhuan Li and Akash Shambharkar, two of our amazing international postgraduate students! You'll be able to learn more about how to apply to study for your postgraduate research degree here with us at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's, as well as why you might want to join a vibrant international research community which carries out world-leading research in many areas of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences research. You'll also hear more about our students' experiences here in Belfast, and what makes studying at the School such an enjoyable and rewarding experience. You'll be able to find out more about our interational students and other activities here, and if you're interested in speaking with one of our amazing postgraduate research supervisors, you'll be able to find out more information about them at this link!

In the second of our student experience-themed podcasts which centre on key considerations for exam season, Dr Paul McCague and Dr Dan Corbett are joined by Dr Ciarán O'Neill from the University's Learning Development Service, and Ciara Harkin from Student Wellbeing Service at Queen's for a discussion around how the University provides support for students during the examination period as well as throughout the year. There's lots more information available on the Learning Development Service and Student Wellbeing Service webpages, where you'll be able out more about services including: One-to-ones and drop in services Student wellbeing events A range of learning resources to help you make the most of your study time! In the next podcast in this series, we'll focus on some key techniques which can really take your exam revision to the next level!

In this episode of PharmaCast, Johanne Barry and Dr Dan Corbett from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast are joined by Jonny Clarke, alumni of the School, and CEO of Locate a Locum, a healthcare/tech startup which specialises in connecting locum healthcare providers with work opportunities. You'll learn more about what a locum is, and what the career landscape for locum professionals is, as well as some key information for being successful in that area, as well as a discussion about Jonny's career journey, and what he's learned about entrepreneurship so far! You'll be able to learn more about some of the topics discussed in this podcast by reading these Locate a Locum blog posts: What essential documents & accreditations do I need to get started Surviving Your First Shift As A Locum Pharmacist 6 Options For Your Pharmacy Career by Jonny Clarke CEO Locum work as a newly qualified pharmacist in 2022

This special edition of PharmaCast, which celebrates International Women’s Day 2023, centres on the experience of women living with and affected by secondary breast cancer. Dr Erin Magee from the School is joined by three amazing women who each have unique connections to secondary breast cancer, including Erin’s mother Joanne who lives with secondary breast cancer, Dr Niamh Buckley, Reader in Personalised Medicine at the School of Pharmacy, and Jennifer Willis, the photographer behind the Seen to be Heard project, which documents the lives of 23 women from Northern Ireland who are living with secondary breast cancer. You can find out more about the Seen to be Heard project at www.seentobeheard.com, and by searching for “Seen to be Heard” on Facebook and Instagram - you’ll also be able to find out more about Jennifer’s work at www.jenniferwillisphotography.com. You’ll also be able to learn more about Make 2nds Count, a charity which supports women living with secondary breast cancer at…

In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Vanessa Brown from the Centre for Experimental Medicine, and Professor Michael Tunney and Dr Deirdre Gilpin from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's join Dr Dan Corbett to look back to their work on developing an approach for rapid and effective COVID testing which assisted Northern Ireland's health and school systems to function at the height of the COVID pandemic. You can find out more about the wide range of cutting-edge research taking place at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's via our website - you can also view Michael and Deirdre's research profiles for more information.

In this episode of PharmaCast, we're joined by Dr Paul McCague, our Director of Student Support and Engagement, as well as podcast regulars Molly and Adam to gain some useful advice about how you can start to get ready for your exams, including knowing how and where to reach out for support and advice. You can find more about the various support services mentioned in the podcast via these links: QUB Student Wellbeing Service QUB Learning Development Service Top 10 sources of support You'll also be able to hear more about these services, and others, in a future episode of the podcast!

In the first podcast in our societal impact strand, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Naomi Martin (Environmental Assistant, QUB Estates), Collette O'Hagan (Technician, School of Pharmacy) and Ted Weaver (PhD student, School of Pharmacy) to discuss how Queen's University and the School of Pharmacy are changing their laboratory practices for a sustainable future. You can find out more about sustainability at Queen's HERE, and about the LEAF project HERE!

Ciaran May (@cm_therapy) of Natural Resilience joins us on this episode of PharmaCast to discuss key aspects of resilience, and how to improve your performance whilst focusing on maintaining your physical and mental health.

In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Molly, Georgina, and Adam, who are three of the School's Mental Health First Aiders, to discuss the Mental Health First Aid scheme, and to introduce an ongoing series of podcasts delivered by the team in relation to various aspects of student mental health.

In the first episode of PharmaCast, we're joined by Professor Paul White, Deputy Dean and Associate Dean Education at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University, to learn more about their transformative approach to education, centred on active learning strategies.