Chair
Helen O’Neil
Senior Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist & strategic lead on diabetes
Tees Valley & North East and North Cumbria ICB
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
Through developing and delivering learning events and championing collaborative work with diabetes charities, our Diabetes & Endocrinology Pharmacy Committee is playing a key role in developing the profession to meet the demands of the healthcare system of the future.
Our community includes diabetes pharmacist experts across all sectors of pharmacy, from hospital to community, GP practices and primary care commissioning groups. Members are also active in representing clinical pharmacy at forums in the UK and overseas. Their expertise has been sought for parliamentary discussions, national guideline and appraisal consultations, and international conferences.
A diabetes pharmacist is a pharmacy practitioner who specialises in diabetes management. Every diabetes pharmacy specialist will have specific experience in diabetes medications and monitoring in order to deliver specialist care to patients living with the condition.
An endocrinology pharmacist is someone who is responsible for delivering care and medication to patients with illnesses affecting their endocrine system. This can include diabetes, as well as hormonal conditions, and thyroid disorders.
In order to work as an endocrinology or diabetes pharmacist, you’ll first need to become a qualified pharmacist, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This requires four years of full-time study to gain an MPharm degree, followed by 12 months working as a trainee pharmacist. You’ll then need to pass an assessment set by the GPhC to become fully qualified.
Once you’re working as a pharmacist, you may wish to specialise in a particular branch of pharmacy, such as diabetes or endocrinology. You’ll find plenty of support from members as you take the next steps in your career when you join our Community.
Pharmacists play a key role in monitoring patients living with diabetes, and supporting them to manage their condition throughout their lives. A pharmacist’s role in diabetes management can include:
An endocrinology or diabetes pharmacist may work in the community, in a GP surgery or pharmacy, at a diabetes clinic, or within a hospital, if the hospital employs a diabetes specialist pharmacist. This means the opportunities for a diabetes pharmacist can be varied, making it an interesting specialist career path.
Ruth Bednall - Assistant director of quality improvement
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