Glasgow pharmacist John-Paul Mackie has been crowned Pharmacist of the Year at the prestigious annual Independent Pharmacy Awards.
He was presented with his award at a celebratory lunch at the House of Commons in London earlier this month and was hailed for using robotics to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Mr Mackie, has worked as a community pharmacist since graduating from University of Strathclyde in 1994, won the accolade at the awards organised by the Independent Community Pharmacist magazine.
Mr Mackie, managing director at Mackie Pharmacy, said earlier a move towards automation helped others on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus, such as key workers and shift workers, gain better access to medicines as people can pick up prescriptions 24 hours a day at a secure dispenser.
He bought his first pharmacy in 1999 and now owns seven pharmacies in the Glasgow area.
IP Awards organisers said: “Few community pharmacists have embraced modern technology like John, and Mackie Pharmacy in Cardonald is an example of this.
“He relocated the pharmacy 100 yards down the road to its current site in 2019 as larger premises were needed to accommodate an automated dispensing robot.
“The robot has been integrated with a prescription collection point to allow patients to collect their medication 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“During the pandemic this has encouraged social distancing and improved access to key workers and those shielding or isolating.”
The pharmacy now dispenses some 20,000 prescription items a month and provides medicines in monitored dosage boxes to a further four of the business' pharmacies.
A free delivery service has also been set up for all patients living in the Cardonald area.
Automation has also given the 15 full time and 10 part time staff members more time to concentrate on delivering other NHS and private pharmacy services, with three pharmacists redeployed to concentrate on clinical services.
Mr Mackie said: "I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of my team for the great bravery and fortitude they have shown throughout the pandemic.
"It is recognition that robotic automation is the way forward to free up the time of pharmacists and their teams to spend with patients and deliver quality patient care.
"We can no longer hide in the dispensary counting tablets when there is so much needing done to fix the current NHS back log."
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