Heather Donaldson
HEATHER Donaldson, 43, is a community pharmacist who has been working at the Boots UK pharmacy in Uddingston, Glasgow for 6 years.
Heather has been shortlisted as a regional finalist for Scotland because of her dedication to person-centred care, exemplified by her swift action while working in Boots UK’s Larkhall Pharmacy in Lanarkshire on May Bank Holiday to help a patient who had broken their insulin delivery pen.
Using the Pharmacy’s Medication Record she could see that the patient had acquired one prescription from this pharmacy previously, which fortunately turned out to be the insulin pen. Heather was therefore able to write a Community Pharmacy Urgent Supply prescription for the insulin pen.
However, during Heather’s conversation with the patient she noticed that the patient seemed a bit confused and slurred their words. When she checked how long the patient had been without insulin, it transpired the patient had been without it for three days as it had broken on the Friday.
Concerned for the patient’s health and wellbeing, Heather asked the patient if she could arrange for an appointment to the out-of-hours clinic. The patient agreed and an appointment was set up within the hour. Heather also made sure that a member of the patient’s family could help with transport to the out-of-hours clinic. The family member came in later that week and said that the patient had been admitted to hospital for three days following the visit to the out-of-hours clinic and was very grateful ‘for saving their life’.
Heather said: “I am so honoured to have been shortlisted for the I Love My Pharmacist Award. My mum has diabetes and all I could think the whole time was that I really hoped that if my mum ever ended up in a similar situation that another pharmacist would have done the same for her. I am so pleased that I was able to make such a difference as that is why I wanted to be a pharmacist in the first place.”
You can vote for Heather here.
You can see all the Scottish entrants here.
