Jill Jennings of Hickey’s Pharmacy, Johnstown was crowned the winner of the JPA Brenson Lawlor Young Community Pharmacist of the Year 2024.
JPA Brenson Lawlor Young Community Pharmacist of the Year – Jill Jennings, Hickey’s Johnstown Pharmacy with Jason Bradshaw, Corporate Finance Partner, JPA Brenson Lawlor.
JPA Brenson Lawlor Young Community Pharmacist of the Year – Highly Commended, Kostas Papadimas and Jason Bradshaw, Corporate Finance Partner, JPA Brenson Lawlor.
Not only that, but the judges were so impressed with the entry for Kostas Papadimas of Donaghmede Pharmacy, he received a Highly Commended Award.
Jill Jennings has really embraced the expansion of the pharmacists’ role in the Johnstown community. She played a strong role in the delivery of both Covid and flu vaccinations in the store. In addition to her fantastic vaccine performance, she has carried out many health checks in conjunction with the ‘Healthy Meath’ initiative funded by Meath County Council and the Irish Pharmacy Union.
Jill has had a tremendous impact on not only the pharmacy’s business, but the Johnstown community. Her commitment to educating staff and patients on the importance of overall health, and in particular gut health, has seen the business’ performance thrive. Jill’s dedication to continuous learning and remaining up to date with the latest advancements in pharmacy is evident in her everyday pharmacy practice.
Kostas is known for giving his patients that need counselling so much more of his time, ensuring that they are confident with a new medicine, or where a dose has changed. He has built a great relationship with the local doctor surgeries and has vaccinated many of the local surgery staff. Donaghmede Pharmacy is one of the busiest pharmacies in North Dublin, dispensing being the number one priority and Kostas is great at working under the most intense pressure, while also finding time to vaccinate, take blood pressure readings, serve on the OTC counter and all the other jobs required.
Accepting the Highly Commended Award, Kostas said, “I am overwhelmed. To be faced with such amazing competition tonight that are the other Finalists, I am overwhelmed that the judges deemed my work important enough of such an accolade. To even have been nominated and shortlisted is such an honour for me.”
With the winners trophy in hand, Jill commented, “This represents a huge milestone for me in my career, and represents the work, time and effort since beginning my career as a pharmacist. I have definitely been stepping out of my comfort zone and learning so many new things over the last year and to hold this trophy at the end of that feels amazing.”
Jason Bradshaw, Corporate Finance Partner with JPA Brenson Lawlor said on the night, “We have six Finalists here tonight and all of them are worthy winners and excellent young pharmacists.
“Young pharmacists have an ever-growing role and I have been able to meet many of them while providing business lectures to the pharmacy students at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). I have also had the pleasure of providing 1:1 meetings with interested first time buyer pharmacists in order to assist them with acquiring their first pharmacy.
“JPA Brenson Lawlor provide awards and bursaries for the pharmacy colleges as we believe young pharmacists are the future of pharmacy.”
