Our News

Lesley Keatley, Newtonstewart Branch

I joined Bradleys Pharmacy as manager of the Springtown store in October 2009 following my pre-registration year in the Newtownstewart branch.

Being a pharmacy manager involves more than regular day-to-day dispensing, you also have to lead and motivate a team of people to give the best customer care and also ensure all targets are being met. I have found that to get the most out of a team you must utilise their best skills to the maximum but also work to recognise areas in which members of the team can develop. Bradleys encourages all staff to carry out appropriate training every year in order to keep on top of our game. Another aspect of management is problem solving and I have found the best way to do this is to think of a list of solutions and weigh up your options before choosing one.

At Bradleys we aim to create a good working environment for staff, pleasant shopping experience for customers and also help patients get the most out of their healthcare.

Seniors Info Day

Gill Turner and Carol Griffiths from Banks pharmacy,where invited by Home in Stead Senior Care ( who provide home care services in the southport area) to attend an older persons information day on may 21st.

The day was to provide an opportunity for elderly people and their families,who are looking for support to speak to knowledgeable experts and learn more about relevent services available in the area.
During the day both Gill and Carol talked about the services Banks Pharmacy and pharmacy in particular can offer

Congratulations Hannah

Bradleys Pharmacy are pleased to sponsor Hannah Smith who has been chosen to represent Ireland in a forthcoming International Show Jumping event in France.

Hannah, pictured sitting on her horse is congratulated on her sucess by Bradley staff members Heather Stuart and Anne Brogan.

All at Bradleys wish her well

Northland Road Fire Station "MOT Day"

On the 12th April this year, William Street Pharmacy visited the crew of Northland Road Fire Station for a general health check. The purpose of the day was to carry out some simple tests that aren?t available as part of the fire workers regular check-up.

A fire-fighter?s job is a physical one and they are obliged to pass a fitness test every year to make sure they are able to carry out the work involved. We decided to go the extra mile and offered a blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and BMI check; the results of these were given to each person on their own health card. As there was a lot of interest from the crew we used an appointment schedule to work around their shift pattern from 10am until 2pm.

Overall the day was a great success, the crew were happy to have had the extra health checks carried out and we were made very welcome at the busy fire station.

Valerie, Drumquin

My name is Valerie Jackson. I have been working for Bradley's Pharmacy since I completed my pre-reg year in 1992. I started my career with Bradley's Pharmacy in Drumquin and four years ago I was transferred to the Dromore branch to establish this pharmacy within the group. Both of these pharmacies are located in small rural villages and as a result I would know most of our customers. This leads to a good rapport and a build up of trust so that people feel comfortable coming in for healthcare advice.

In my work with Bradley's I have been able to undertake health promotion campaigns both in the pharmacy and in the local community such as blood pressure monitoring, diabetes screening, BMI measurements, cholesterol checks and smoking cessation programmes which provides a change from the traditional pharmacist role of dispensing.

I have also given talks on health matters to various local groups e.g. Womens groups, MS support group, Fields of Life volunteers. This has allowed me the opportunity to interact with customers in their own groups and respond to their health education needs.

Energie Gym

On Wednesday 9th March, No Smoking day, Emma Devenney manager of our William Street Branch visited Energie Gym, Strand Rd, Derry. to provide health checks for gym members.

These included blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar readings. In addition, smokers were offered the opportunity to get their carbon monoxide reading taken and given advice on smoking cessation. Those seeking assistance to stop were signposted to our pharmacy based smoking cessation service.

Age Concern

Bradleys were invited to attend Age Conern's luncheon club recently to promote the services provided by our Pharmacy.

It was a very successful afternoon and Emma Devenney was available to talk to in private to those attending, answering questions about medicines and medical conditions.

If you need to talk in confidence about a health related matter don't hesitate to speak with a Pharmacist in one of our Stores.

Omagh Women's Area Network

Roisin at the Omagh branch has been working with 'Omagh Women's Area Network' for about two years now. Currently she is on her second project with them.

As Roisin says

"Initially the group and I sat down for a brainstorming session and discussed what health related issues they would like to learn more about. Over the course of the next few months we met on a Thursday morning and I presented a session on a particular topic of interest. It is very important that this is 'group driven' and that I, as a pharmacist am responding to their particular health needs. The sessions included such topics as Arthritis, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis and Stress Management to name a few. On several of the sessions I arranged for an external speaker to come along as well. So far we have had a physiotherapist, aroma therapist, fitness trainer and mental health nurse as well as representatives from Action Cancer and Chest Heart and Stroke. After each session the ladies have a chance for general questions and also 'one to one' time with myself and any other speaker over a cup of coffee! The group participation is excellent and the feedback we have had has been very encouraging. Hopefully we will be able to carry on with this heading forward."

Newtonstewart comes top again

Bradleys and B&Q Raise £200

Bradley's New Head Office

Bradley's Pharmacy have recently moved their head office and warehousing base to a brand new building on the Dromore Road in Omagh. The new building provides more than 50% greater warehousing space as well as a much larger purpose built office suite. Managing Director Liam Bradley is delighted with the move and sees it as a very positive step forward for the company.

"We had come to the end of our lease at our previous base and were looking for something a little more spacious. We've been very lucky with what we found, and are delighted with the move. All of the staff in the business have played their part in what was a real team effort to relocate such a large operation without sacrificing service levels to the shops and therefore our customers."

Bradley's staff triumph at Pharmacy in Focus Industry Awards

Bradley's Pharmacy is celebrating a successful night at the Pharmacy in Focus industry awards, hosted in Belfast on Saturday 23rd January 2010.

Pharmacy Manager Emma Devenney from the William Street branch in L/Derry was chosen as the Pharmacy Manager of the Year. Derry City native Emma has been with Bradleys throughout her career and was a much deserved winner of this prestigious award. Business owner Liam Bradley said:

"Emma is a great example to any pharmacist. She works hard and is totally committed to her colleagues, customers and our company. We are delighted for her that she has been recognised in this way. Emma has been managing our pharmacy in William Street for the last year and has done a marvellous job looking after the local people in and around the Bogside."

Staff from the Newtownstewart branch were also recognised for their hard work, winning the Best Customer Service Award for a pharmacy group. Pharmacy Manager Lesley Keatley and long serving staff member Heather Stewart were on hand to collect the big prize in front of nearly 600 people at the annual event. Lesley was delighted, saying:

"It is great that our committed staff have been rewarded in this way. We all work very hard to not just meet but exceed the needs and expectations of our customers. All our staff share in this win."

Bradley's Pharmacist nominated for Pharmacy Manager of the Year

Bradley's Pharmacy employee Emma Devenney has been nominated for the prestigious award of Pharmacy Manager of the Year in the upcoming Pharmacy in Focus Magazine's Industry awards. Emma is pharmacist manager at the group's pharmacy in William Street in Derry City and has been with the company for several years at various sites across the North West.

Emma is one of three finalists shortlisted for the award which will be presented on Saturday 23rd January at a Gala ceremony in Belfast. Emma was nominated for her work in developing pharmacy services with her community in the city's Bogside, and is looking forward to the night.

"I'm really surprised but delighted to have been nominated for the award. It's nice to get recognition for the work we do with our patients and customers."

Liam Bradley, owner of the business is looking forward to the night after the group won an award last year at the same awards.

"Last year we were rewarded as a group for our innovation in developing services, and it's nice that Emma has the opportunity now to gain recognition for her personal efforts looking after the people of the Bogside and Brandywell areas as well as further afield. Emma is a young and enthusiastic pharmacy manager who sets a fine example not just for her colleagues in Bradleyspharmacy but the profession as a whole. We wish her luck on the night."

Newtownstewart is Pharmacy in Focus Magazine Awards finalist

Bradley's Pharmacy staff at our Newtownstewart store have been shortlisted for a prestigious Industry Award.

Pharmacy Manager Lesley Keatley and her team at the pharmacy in Newtownstewart have been selected as one of three finalists in the Customer Service Award category. The Newtwonstewart pharmacy has historically been seen as something of a flagship pharmacy for the Bradley group as explained by Bradley's owner Liam Bradley.

"It's fantastic for a team of individuals to be recognised in this way. As Newtownstewart is my home town I always keep a special eye on things in this pharmacy, and I get to hear first hand how our customers feel. Our customers have been telling us how they feel about the high level service our staff provide at this site. Winning the award at the end of January awards would be the icing on the cake now."

Lesley Keatley and long serving employee Heather Stuart will be attending the Pharmacy in Focus Magazine Awards Dinner in Belfast on Saturday 23rd January. Lesley had this to say about the nomination.

"All of the staff are excited with this news. We work hard as a team to meet and exceed our patient and customer service requirements, and it's great to have this recognised in this way. We are looking forward to attending the awards dinner and hopefully bringing home the prize."

New Weight Management Service

Obesity in our population is a huge problem and a massive drain both directly and indirectly on NHS resources. Community Pharmacies and Pharmacists are rightly recognised as being ideally placed to help fight obesity and therefore impact positively on the health of such individuals.

As a company, Bradley's Pharmacy is involved in a number of initiatives across the group to help facilitate customers and patients that need to lose weight and are motivated to do so.

Three of the group's eight pharmacies have been selected by the HSC to provide a new Weight Management Service. The selected pharmacies are at Castle and two in Londonderry (Springtown and William Street).

At our Omagh flagship store on Old Mountfield Road we have recently increased our opening hours and now utilise a second pharmacist for a large part of the trading week. These twin actions have been timed to make our new Weight Management Service as accessible as possible for our customers and patients.

Bradley's Pharmacy New Website

Welcome to the new Bradley's Pharmacy website, providing essential information on our entire range of in-store services and product offers.

In Services you will find all you need to know about the professional assistance available in-store, including advice on medicine management, minor ailments and free prescription pick-ups, to name a few.

As a Pharmacy committed to supporting the local community, we aim to give the best healthcare advice to all our customers. The new website Advice centre gives you access to round-the-clock healthcare information. You will also find a comprehensive Health A-Z supplied by NHS Choices and web-links to local and global health agency websites.

We hope you enjoy your first visit to the new Bradley's Pharmacy website. Remember to drop by again soon, as we plan to constantly update and refresh our website with the latest health related information.