Cayman Islands Hospital Pharmacist Samantha Conolly received regional recognition at the 37th annual Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP) Conference hosted in Belize in August 2017 for her volunteer work in the advancement of the profession of pharmacy and her service to the executive board of CAP as its second vice president.

Ms Conolly’s extensive record of volunteerism includes her roles as the Deputy Chair of the Health Practice Commission’s Pharmacy Council and Past President of the Cayman Islands Pharmacist Association. She is also the Pharmaceutical Advisor, Pharmaceutical Director and Deputy Chair of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Association of the Cayman Islands. Ms. Conolly has made over 75 presentations on dementia in the Cayman Islands and across the Caribbean. She also assists at her alma mater, the University of Toronto, Faculty of Pharmacy, as an interviewer for potential applicants to the Leslie Dan School of Pharmacy.

Prior to being elected as CAP’s second vice president at the organisation’s conference last year in Jamaica, Ms Conolly was a council member for three years and member for 14 years. “It is a pleasure for me to serve on the Executive Committee of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacist. I deeply appreciate the recognition for my volunteer service and dedication to enhancing the profession of pharmacy. The saying is so true: ‘When you love what you do it does not feel like work’,” she said.
HSA’s Chief Pharmacist Colin Medford lauded Ms Conolly for her achievements and for bringing greater recognition to the Health Services Authority (HSA). “Samantha continues to fly our flag internationally by continually being recognized and awarded for her (local and regional) work by the Caribbean pharmacists’ community. Her achievement demonstrates the innovative and progressive nature of pharmacy practice here at the Health Services Authority,” he stated.

The vision of CAP is to advance the development and empowerment of the people of the Caribbean through excellence in the provision of all aspects of pharmacy practice. The organisation’s weeklong conference attracted pharmacists across the Caribbean including other locals David Pellow, Angela Ebanks, Shekeria Perrira and Sharray Banks-Baliey. They discussed the latest trends and news in their industry under the theme ‘Caribbean Pharmacists Contributing to Improved Health and Wellness of our Communities’. Discussions and presentations ranged from ‘Medical Marijuana’ to ‘Advancing the Career of Pharmacists with Continuous Learning’. In addition to Ms Conolly’s award, the Cayman Islands took home several honors at the conference’s awards gala.

IMAGE: Samantha Conolly
Photo Caption: Cayman Islands Hospital Pharmacist Samantha Conolly displaying her most recent award, presented at this year’s Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP) Conference in Belize.