IPU National Pharmacy Conference is the largest pharmacy educational and networking event in Ireland.
📅 The AGM* will take place on 26 April, followed by the IPU National Pharmacy Conference on 27 April 2024
🗺️ In the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
🎤Enjoy the opportunity to engage with fellow members, sponsors and exhibitors.
*Strictly for fully paid-up IPU members only
The IPU National Conference will take place on Saturday, 27 April in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. The theme for this year’s conference is The Changing Face of Primary Care – Empowering Community Pharmacy. The event will provide support to the pharmacy profession through an extensive programme of events, education sessions and ‘The Great Debate’.
If you have any queries you can contact Events through events@ipu.ie or by calling 01 493 6401.
Watch the Promo Video for the IPU National Pharmacy Conference 2023
🏨 Radisson Blue Hotel, Athlone
🚆 9 minutes’ walk from Athlone Railway Station
Enjoy the riverside location of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone
The Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone has a wonderful waterfront location, with views over the town and town. The County Westmeath hotel’s central position is less than 10 minutes walk from the train station, making travel further afield quick and easy – Dublin is under 2 hours away.
The hotel is within walking distance of many of Athlone’s attractions, including the city’s modern marina. Watch the river cruises go by from the comfort of the hotel bar or join one yourself by simply booking at reception. Travel back in time with a visit to the 12th-century Athlone Castle, just a 5-minute walk away. A 10-minute drive and you’ll be at Glendeer Pet Farm, where kids and adults alike can enjoy interacting with a variety of animals, from llamas to monkeys.
Leisure Centre and Fitness Club
The leisure centre and fitness club consist of a 16.5m heated, indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, weekly fitness classes, Keiser bikes spinning classes, fully equipped and air-conditioned gym, fitness trainers to tailor a programme for your requirements, air-conditioned changing areas with locker facilities, showers and hair dryers.
Opening times: 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday.
For more information, click here.
Nearby Attractions and Amenities
The Athlone city centre is known for its shopping with a variety of quaint boutiques and antique stores along the riverfront within walking distance of the hotel. Athlone Castle is also just a 6-minute walk across the River Shannon, and you can see the Church of Saint Paul and Peter on the way. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy golfing, boating and angling, as well as biking the Athlone Greenway.
Make up and Beauty Treatment
Founded in 2004 by award winning beauty and skin expert Carrie Cunnane. Carrie’s Beauty Salon has earned its reputation as the ultimate beauty destination, located on Pearse Street on the beautiful west side of Athlone! Carrie’s specialise in Beauty, Skin and Makeup.
The Urba Skin & Beauty offers all clients the highest standard in professional care and advice across the vast range of quality products and services. Their highly qualified Skin Therapists offer tailor-made Skin treatment plans to meet each individual’s specific needs and requirements in order to deliver only the best of results.
Hair
The salon was established in 1995 by Padraig Claffey. The team have a passion for hair and a hunger for education. Custom Cuts at The Sweeny is unique in that its stylists have international accreditation. The salon boasts three cutting masters and two colour masters.
Irelands leading hairdressing group, Peter Mark have been in the business for almost 60 years so it’s no secret that they know a thing or two when it comes to hair.
Medussa has a reputation of offering high standards of service and treatment and this has been further enhanced with the studio’s move to its new location. Medussa’s owner Róisín Carlin has more than 28 years of experience in the hairdressing industry and is established in Athlone for 14 of these.
Makeup Artists
Aileen is 10 years in the makeup business and has enhanced her own natural talent by completing the CIBTAC Diploma in Fashion and Photography Makeup, followed by several master training courses with leading makeup artist Zoe Clark. Aileen continues to work with Zoe, adding such skills as Air Brush to her repertoire.
Sorcha O’ Dowd is a freelance makeup artist based in Athlone, Co. Roscommon but regularly travels nationwide on request, subject to availability. Having trained initially as a Beauty Therapist nearly 11 years ago, Sorcha has a broad understanding of the beauty industry. She followed her passion for makeup and went freelance over 4 years ago.
Jane is a professional Makeup Artist and recently qualified VTCT teacher trainer based in Athlone.
She has always held a passion for makeup for many years and in 2016 finally decided to fulfil her dream of becoming a qualified Makeup Artist.
To book your room at the Radisson Blu Hotel contact the Hotel Reservations and reference the IPU Conference.
Please note: IPU discounted prices below are only available until the 29 March so early booking is essential.
*Bedroom prices after the 29 of March will revert to full price and can be booked online here.
If you are driving from Dublin, it takes around 1h30min via M4 or M6 (125km).
If you are driving from Galway, it takes around 1h via M6 (86km).
The hotel offers free parking spaces where available. On arrival please register your car at the hotel reception and its location in the car park to prevent clamping. Payment in the meter should not then be required.
There are several alternative accommodation options available, see below:
MVM, MBA, C Dir, and Chief Executive at Mapat Management Consultants
Dr Pat O’Mahony, MVM, MBA, C Dir, is Chief Executive at Mapat Management Consultants where he provides strategic management consultancy to selected clients across various sectors including Biopharmaceuticals, Med Tech and Health Care Systems. Particular interests at present include Value Based Healthcare, Clinical Research and Genomics. Pat is also Chairman of the Board of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and Chairman of the Board of the Irish Medicines Verification Organisation (IMVO).
Pat previously served as CEO at Clinical Research Development Ireland, the clinical and translational research partnership of the universities in Ireland from 2017 to 2019, Deputy Secretary General and Head of Governance and Performance at the Department of Health in Dublin for 15 months, prior to which Pat was Chief Executive of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) from 2002 to 2015.
Having spent a number of years in private clinical practice and as technical manager in the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland and the UK, Pat worked in public health and was Director of Consumer Protection at the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
Pat has previously served on a variety of public and private sector boards including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), where he served as Chairman from 2007 to 2011, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the National Patient Safety Advisory Group and was vice Chair of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities. Pat was appointed Chair of the Ministerial Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy in 2023.
Economics Affairs Manager, PGEU
As Economic Affairs Manager is responsible for the PGEU initiatives related to health economics and policy. He monitors EU policies in the areas of EU economic governance and health systems resilience and sustainability. Moreover, he produces data-driven analyses of market developments in the healthcare and pharmacy sector, to advise PGEU members and to inform PGEU policy positions. He also contributes to developing PGEU relationships with stakeholders and institutions, including with the European Commission and the OECD.
Vice Dean of School Of Pharmacy, UCC
Laura is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy UCC. As a pharmacist with over 30 years’ experience including community, hospital, industry and academia, she has seen first-hand the challenges that patients and their families encounter when managing medications.
One of Laura’s research areas is Health Literacy and she has been involved in many projects to promote clear communication strategies by healthcare professionals with the aim of improving the patient experience.
Laura Sahm received a B.Sc. Pharm (Hons) from the University of Brighton and won a scholarship from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) to pursue her postgraduate studies in the Grade 5A* Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath.
Laura obtained her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics (Site-specific drug delivery of methotrexate to melanoma) in 1995. She moved to Germany in 1996 where she worked in community pharmacy, and for the pharmaceutical industry (Takeda GmbH).
Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, UCC
Michelle is a Lecturer of Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy UCC, and senior postdoctoral research at the National Suicide Research Foundation. Her undergraduate research project found that one in four patients did not understand the instructions on a box of paracetamol, and Michelle continued to witness evidence of these health literacy challenges in practice after qualifying and working as a community pharmacist. Her postdoctoral research continues to explore the optimisation of patient and healthcare professional education, including work with the Health Research Board, the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health, and the National Cancer Control Programme. She also writes a weekly women’s wellbeing column, providing accessible information for the general public.
Michelle received a BPharm from UCC in 2011 and an MPharm from RCSI in 2012. Her PhD in 2019 evaluated a national intervention for pharmacy student wellbeing. She was the Covid Hub Lead Pharmacist for the IIoP in 2022, and launched the UCC Digital Badge, An Introduction to Health Literacy for Health and Social Care Professionals with Prof. Sahm and the National Adult Literacy Agency earlier this year.
Ex-All Black, Rugby Pundit, Author & Mental Health Advocate
One of Ireland’s best known and respected media personalities, Brent Pope is a popular, entertaining and highly accomplished business, motivational and after-dinner speaker, particularly in the area of well-being and wellness.
In his candid and best-selling autobiography, Brent Pope: If You Really Knew Me (2013), Brent talks openly about his rugby career and personal life. Unusually in the world of rugby, he also speaks honestly and eloquently about mental health issues, having suffered anxiety attacks for many years. And in the last decade, his candour, warmth and wit when speaking publicly on these issues have won over audiences at corporate events of all sizes. People are struck in particular by his empathy, which is aimed at empowering everyone, but especially men, to share their struggles with a view to getting the help and support they need to thrive.
A ruthless, tough player who “ran like a reverse hovercraft”, Pope’s aggressive, uncompromising style inspired the legendary players around him and the teams he coached, and he brings the same zeal and commitment to his speaking roles.
Brent is possibly the only rugby player ever to write a series of non-rugby books (six to date) for children. He has been one of RTÉ Television’s main rugby pundits since 1993 and has also appeared in numerous cross-over programmes including The Late Late Show.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in economics, valuation and property management from Canterbury University in New Zealand, as well as postgraduate qualifications in Marketing, Public Relations (UCD) and Sports Management. Brent was previously employed as a professional rugby coach, a Marketing Manager for Brookfield MRI Clinic, and then as an award-winning European Marketing Manager for a leading Irish and international property development company.
Today he runs his own successful clothing business, POPE, and is a dedicated charity worker and a proud ambassador to many leading Irish charities, especially those linked to youth and mental health issues. Brent was also the founder and curator of the ‘Outside In Art Gallery’.
Brent is empathetic and candid, he is not afraid to share his own experiences suffering with anxiety to help others.
Registrar and Chief Officer, PSI – The Pharmacy Regulator
Joanne Kissane is the Registrar and Chief Officer of the PSI, having commenced in the role in January 2023. Prior to joining the PSI, she was the Director and National Coordinator for APPEL, a joint office of the three Schools of Pharmacy in Ireland, which manages the student experiential learning placements for the integrated Masters degree programmes in pharmacy. She has worked in community pharmacy as a practising pharmacist, and she was the superintendent pharmacist for Lloyds Pharmacy for seven years, and subsequently held the role of Head of Operational Excellence for the organisation.
Ms Kissane was a member of the PSI Council for seven year and chaired several PSI committees during this time and served two years as PSI President.
Associate Professor in the Practice of Pharmacy at Trinity College Dublin and a Practicing Pharmacist
Dr Tamasine Grimes is Associate Professor in the Practice of Pharmacy at Trinity College Dublin and a practicing pharmacist. Tamasine undertook her undergraduate training in TCD, followed by a Masters in Hospital Pharmacy (TCD), and a PhD in Clinical Pharmacy (The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland). Since graduation, Tamasine has worked in hospital, community and academic pharmacy settings. Tamasine is a leader in the field of medication safety, and this is the focus of her current work which includes her undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, her research and her engagement in policymaking. Tamasine is Chair of the Pharmacy eHealth Group, which provides access to a non-partisan, trusted source of knowledge, experience and professionalism that can be consulted to provide recommendations and insight about digital health with specific focus on ePharmacy.
Head of eHealth & Information Policy, Department of Health
Niall is responsible for the development of eHealth policy and the national eHealth agenda with specific focus on enabling delivery of integrated care under the Sláintecare reform agenda through the implementation of digital health systems, digital identity , ePharmacy and other strategic eHealth initiatives; At international level, Niall represents the department on the EU eHealth Network, the Global Digital Health Partnership and SNOMED International.
Assistant National Director, PCRS
Shaun Flanagan is a pharmacy graduate from Trinity College Dublin. For over 10 years, he held the position of Chief Pharmacist at the HSE and is currently the Assistant National Director of the PCRS. Flanagan has also worked at Beaumont Hospital and St. James Hospital as Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager and Pharmacy Operations Manager.
Medical and Health Journalist
Priscilla Lynch is an award-winning medical and health journalist with almost 20 years experience covering the sector. She is currently Clinical Editor of the Medical Independent and Editor of Update clinical journals, and a contributor to Medscape UK. She also occasionally freelances for a number of national newspapers and is a regular contributor on healthcare news to the Last Word on Today FM, RTE 1’s Drivetime and the Late Debate, the Hard Shoulder on Newstalk, and other radio and TV shows. Priscilla has a specialist interest in national and international healthcare policy, medical politics, waiting lists, and medical innovation. @priscillalynch
Contact events@ipu.ie to become a sponsor at the IPU National Pharmacy Conference