Lunch time meeting - 12.55pm- Our speaker this week will be Pharmacist Bernie Colford

On Thursday 2nd February 2023 President Brian Johnson, took the meeting as he welcomed 17 Rotarians and guest Bernie Colford to this our lunch time meeting held at the Gilvenbank Hotel, Glenrothes.

Anne Sampson mentioned the afternoon tea on Sunday 19th February 2023 at the Studio8 in Glenrothes, She also mentioned that the Primary School Quiz would take place on Thursday 2nd March at Auchmuty HS commencing at 6:30pm

Wilna Roger spoke about the Markinch Musical Sunshine on Leith with a few of the members interested in attending.

She also advised that The Young Photographer competition entries had been received and judged with 17 entries from Glenrothes and Auchmuty High Schools. With the theme this year being the Beauty of Architecture. The Young Musician competition will take place on Tuesday 7th February at 6.30pm in Glenrothes High School. The Young Artist Senior competition is to be held in Auchmuty High school on Thursday 23rd February between 9am and 1 pm , The Glenrothes High School Interact Club . will have 2 projects on the go this term, collecting carrier bags for the Foodbank and Collecting spectacles for SpecSort

Scott Galloway mentioned the Race night to be held at Gilvenbank Hotel on Friday 7th April - 6.30 for 7pm

Our speaker today was Bernadette (Brown) Colford who in the main was to talk about Brighter Futures Health Hub, SC051381 which she established in November 2021. Firstly, a bit about Bernie as she is fondly known,

graduated from Strathclyde school of pharmacy in 1986 and registered in 1987. Preregistration was in Leven, Fife, at a Boots the Chemists branch. The continuity of staffing gave the pharmacy its friendly feel and she realised that she would like to own a pharmacy like that. Her first job after registering was as a relief manager with Boots in Fife. Next came having a family and locum work, including spells at the pharmacy she now owns, where the proprietor was James McIntyre. This gave her the feel for independent pharmacy. They were so welcoming, and she wanted to work in such an environment. Next came a period of four years as a practice pharmacist in a GP surgery in Lochgelly, Fife, where the GPs were her mentors when qualifying as a supplementary and independent prescriber. While there, Bernadette ran one of the first hypertension/cardiovascular clinics to be set up in a practice. In 2009, she moved back into community pharmacy. This again included working for Mr McIntyre, who was looking for more help. At the same time, with the support of Scottish government funding, Bernadette began clinics for the North Glen Medical Practice in Glenrothes (the nearest one to Cadham Pharmacy) and also at Leslie Medical Practice. The funding was to get community pharmacists integrating into community practice. Because she had already been a prescribing practice pharmacist it made perfect sense for her to apply and get funding for these clinics, which she has been doing for the past seven years. The clinic for North Glen is now done in Cadham pharmacy itself. Bernie is able fully to use her prescribing skills. Other services in the pharmacy include a skin clinic and travel service clinic. The type of clinical work that Bernadette is involved in is seen as being the norm in the future under Prescription for Excellence, the Scottish Governments policy for pharmacy. At the moment, there are pockets of pharmacists working with GPs. The plan is to have that everywhere. They should try to find a way of helping people like Bernie to get involved. If the boards are encouraging them and funding them, that is the way forward. The money from dispensing prescriptions cannot sustain clinics so there has to be other ways of helping people like me to continue to operate clinically and to prescribe. Bernadette mentioned that at the moment she has got limited funding. There is a need for what she does The public like it and they have greater access to the help they need. The doctors like it. It must be the future. The programme called Pharmacies 1^st and 1^st Plus. To achieve her goals Bernie established The Brighter Futures Health Hub, a Registered charity from 05 November 2021 to advance health inequalities which will ensure that individuals, families and communities are able to access health services which will help them have a quality of life enabling them to reach their full potential. The provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended. To advance active citizenship /community development. The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or another disadvantage. Enhance and support the elderly, infirm and vulnerable who are fragile and isolated.

The Rotary vote of thanks was given by Geoff Sampson.

Next week Thursday 9th February 2023 arrival by 12.45pm commencing at 1pm prompt will be for club business and fellowship.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.