The shortlist for the 2009 Helix Health Irish Pharmacist Awards was announced today. 30th March. The Pharmacist Awards are open to all those in the pharmacy profession in research, science and community or hospital based practice fields.

The shortlist includes pharmacists throughout the country, from counties, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Mayo, Sligo and Westmeath. Three pharmacists have been shortlisted in six of the award categories.

Category: Excellence in Hospital Pharmacy sponsored by Sanofi- Aventis Nominees: Eva Dockery, Sligo General Hospital, Co. Sligo, Geraldine Colohon, Portiuncula Hospital, Co. Mayo, Claire Keane, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin

Category: Excellence in Community Pharmacy sponsored by Helix Health Nominees: Brian O’Reilly, Naas, Co. Kildare, Sheila O’Driscoll, Douglas, Co. Cork, Noel Stenson, Achill Island, Co. Mayo.

Category: Pharmacist Contribution to the Community sponsored by Hilary Haydon and Company Chartered Accountants Nominees: Mary-Jo Duffy, Duffy’s Pharmacy, Ennis, Co. Clare, Dermot Smyth, Breens Pharmacy, Slane, Co. Westmeath, Marie O’Brien, O’Brien’s Pharmacy, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.

Category: Young Pharmacist of the Year sponsored by Clonmel Healthcare Nominees: Miriam Kerins, Lohan Pharmacy, Galway, Claire Murphy, Unicare Pharmacy, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, John Green, Unicare Newbridge, Dublin 3

Category: Patient Nominated sponsored by Teva Nominees: Richard Woods, Woods Pharmacy, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Donough Connolly, Connollys Pharmacy, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Donagh Corby, Firgrove Pharmacy, Bishopstown, Co. Cork Category: Professional Excellence sponsored by Ulster Bank Nominees: Mary Rose Burke, Ireland Administration Office, Boots the Chemist, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, Sheila Ryder, School of Pharmacy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2. Tim Delaney, Head of Pharmacy, Tallaght Hospital.

Category: Practice-based Research Award

Nominees: Bernard Duggan, Dargan’s Pharmacy, Dublin 7, Tamasine Grimes, Tallaght Hospital Pharmacy, Cristine Ryan, School of Pharmacy Cork.

Commenting on the shortlist, Howard Beggs, Chief Executive of Helix Health said, “The calibre of entries for this year’s awards has been outstanding, and the shortlist is a testament to the hard work and commitment pharmacists throughout Ireland have demonstrated to their patients and to research in the field”.

“We have been very impressed with the high standard of practice and innovation the award entrants have demonstrated as well as the great amount of support shown by the public to their pharmacists through the Patient Nominated Award,” added Beggs.

At the awards ceremony on May 9th, the prestigious awards for Overall Pharmacist of the Year sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Ltd and the Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Moroney Barron Solicitors, will also be presented.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a pharmacist whose efforts on behalf of the profession in Ireland over a sustained number of years are deemed to have been most remarkable. This year Dr Des Corrigan, Visiting Academic at the School of Pharmacy TCD, has been named as the recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. A distinguished academic, Dr Corrigan lectured in pharmacognosy at the School of Pharmacy at TCD for 42 years and was instrumental in the successful transfer of the School from the old Shrewsbury Road site in Dublin to its current campus setting in the main TCD campus