On Friday 8 November, the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) presented their prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019 to Professor Anna Murphy.
The judging panel described Professor Murphy as “without doubt, worthy of this prestigious award. Anna’s achievements, experience and impact on patient care are truly astounding. Over the years she has represented UKCPA with passion across many platforms. Her work, commitment and care are astonishing, both locally and nationally. She is inspirational, genuine, humble and exemplary to the profession.”
Dr Ruth Bednall, Chair of UKCPA, presented Professor Murphy with her award by saying “Over the years we have celebrated a range of individuals, many of whom have come from academia or had significant influence on the strategic development of our profession. This year our winner is an exceptional clinician.”
As the first respiratory consultant pharmacist in England and founder of the UKCPA Respiratory Group, Professor Murphy is highly respected, not only within the pharmacy profession, but beyond. Her nominators described her as “a beacon of excellence in respiratory medicine”. Her affiliations with several university pharmacy and medical schools are testament to her skills, knowledge, and pragmatism.
Her practice is far-reaching: she has taken her expertise outside hospital practice to reach a wider and more diverse patient group, caring for patients in tertiary clinics and working pro bono in GP practices to support the care they provide to respiratory patients.
She is widely published with papers in peer reviewed pharmacy and medical journals, including the prestigious Thorax journal. Thanks to her development of national education programmes, including simplestep.co.uk and the national UK inhaler group, more healthcare professionals than ever before are appropriately checking and demonstrating optimal inhaler technique, improving outcomes for patients on an unprecedented scale.
Her insight and innovation were recognised when she achieved a Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2012 for her study to evaluate the efficacy of a community pharmacy-based intervention to people with asthma. Her choice of dissertation clearly demonstrates her inclusive, supportive and patient-focused outlook.
Her determination to bring pharmacy to the respiratory table, through collaboration with national organisations including RPS, UKCPA, NICE, NHS England and the British Thoracic Society, has been rewarded with a new and robust appreciation of what pharmacists can offer. This has in turn resulted in doors opening for other respiratory pharmacists shaping national and international strategies.
Professor Murphy is a staunch supporter of patient groups and plays an active role as a member of the Asthma UK Council of Healthcare Professionals, and more recently in putting her lungs to the test by cycling, swimming, walking and running an incredible distance in aid of the British Lung Foundation.
Professor Murphy’s nominators describe her as “an outstanding, approachable pharmacist and an inspirational colleague. She is not only the fount of all respiratory knowledge but a continual source of entertainment. We know of no pharmacist that can match her.”
