Pharmacy student from Cumbernauld wins essay competition

A pharmacy student from Cumbernauld has won a major national essay competition - along with a first prize of £500.

Lara Seymour, a first year student at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University, wrote about the importance of revalidation to clinch the title.

Run by the Pharmacy Law and Ethics Association, the subject matter is central to her chosen field, and her strongly-expressed opinions centre on ensuring pharmacists have proper professional accountability.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: “I was very surprised to find out I had won the Pharmacy Law and Ethics Association essay competition.

“ I enjoy writing and have a particular interest in ethics in pharmacy practice.

“One of the seven key principles of being a pharmacist is to develop professional knowledge and competence and as an independent pharmacy regulator, The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has a duty to ensure all of its registrants are fit to practise.”

She added: “I argued this is essential for patient safety and maintains the public’s confidence in the pharmacy professions.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We must consider recent industry recommendations to develop a revalidation process that is timely, effective, affordable and most importantly ethical.”

Professor Donald Cairns, head of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences at RGU, said: “This is a tremendous achievement and a very rewarding outcome for the staff from the school.”

Related topics: