A tri-lingual pharmacist based in Paisley has been honoured in a prestigious competition.

Katie Earle-Payne won the Global Citizenship prize at the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Celebrating Success Awards after developing a guide for Ukrainian refugees to access pharmacy services.

She was assigned to the MV Ambition, which was docked in Glasgow and housed people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Katie was the ideal candidate for the post as she has a Ukrainian family background and is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian and English.

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She created two helpful guidance and information packs – one in English and another in Ukrainian – which were circulated to the Ukrainian community in Glasgow via WhatsApp and through the NHSGGC YouTube channel.

Now NHS Lothian and the Scottish Government hope to adapt and use the guide for Ukrainian refugees elsewhere in the country.

Katie said: "As well as sometimes dealing with the obvious language barriers, some medicines commonly available in Ukraine are not used in the UK.

"So I had to identify suitable alternatives that could be used.

"Ukraine also has a different healthcare system, so there was a lot of work involved in explaining how people go about accessing pharmacy and other healthcare services in the UK. 

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"Part of my day-to-day work is helping people understand how to access services and to make sure they are getting the right medicines and it was even more important for the people on the MV Ambition to have this kind of advice given their circumstances."

Gail Caldwell, director of pharmacy at NHSGGC, said: "Katie's efforts in developing a service for Ukrainian patients have been remarkable.

"Her approach has exemplified the core principles of staff enablement, operating at the highest level of practice, promoting innovative practice, and working in an integrated and effective manner. 

"By helping Ukrainian patients navigate and understand the NHS, Katie has made a significant impact in improving their overall health and well-being, while setting an inspiring example for her fellow pharmacy professionals."