Welcome to your November issue of Irish Pharmacist, which contains content written by a range of contributors, from young students, to firmly established pharmacy professionals.
In this issue, we have a couple of offerings that are a little out of the ordinary. One of these is a feature to highlight the amazing work being done by Irish pharmacy students to support a new pharmacy programme in Malawi. It is reassuring to know that with such students waiting in the wings, the future of pharmacy is in good hands.
Also in this issue is perhaps the most unusual feature we have run. It is written by a pharmacist who is awaiting a “long- overdue” assessment for neurodivergence, and is meant to illustrate the challenging thought processes that these people have to live with. The article is published unexpurgated, unedited and untouched, as interference by a person with ‘normal’ thought processes would sully the purpose of the piece — to offer a sneak-peek into the sometimes chaotic thought processes of a neurodivergent person. It’s not an easy read, but it might strike a chord with some of you who are, or suspect you are, neurodivergent. Also in this issue, Fintan Moore tackles the issue of compassion vs empathy, and need
to distinguish between these two distinct concepts. Fintan raises a lot of interesting points about the need to be compassionate with your patients, while at the same time preserving your own wellbeing. As anybody qualified in one of the ‘listening professions’ will attest, the greater your compassion — or empathy — the greater the need for targeted self-care. When you start to feel what is known as ‘compassion fatigue’, and you recognise it, that’s a red flag symptom for burnout. As Fintan alludes to, if we don’t look after ourselves as well as the patients, and eventually burn-out, we won’t be much use to anybody else.
Don’t forget to check out our clinical content too, where you can earn 2 CPD points by completing our module on OTC Medicines. There are also articles on Winter Vaccines, Men’s Health and Psoriasis for your perusal.
Our clinical content is tailored for your needs and written by your colleagues, and we hope you find it useful.
