Merlin Pharmacy

17/11/2025

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to first ever cohort of pharmacy students at the University of Galway.

It was a meaningful moment for me, because I got to combine two areas I’ve spent my career immersed in, both pharmacy and wellbeing.

The session focused on something often overlooked in healthcare training, self-care, and how to look after ourselves when our career involves looking after others.

We explored:
Why self-care isn't selfish, but plays a foundational role in both the life of a student, and those whose careers see them perform in clinical roles.

How small habits like connecting with others, regular movement, staying present and grounded, and regulating our nervous system can protect energy and mindset.

We looked at the danger of waiting for ‘some time’ to prioritise wellbeing, which is a trap many professionals fall into. My key message was focused on the importance of building a realistic, sustainable approach to personal resilience from day one.

There’s a growing awareness that professional performance and personal wellbeing aren’t separate conversations. One directly impacts the other. Starting the conversation early, before burnout or overload, can make a real difference.

Thanks to Dr. Mary Hopkins and the team at University of Galway for the warm welcome, and to the students for their participation.

14/11/2025

Good news! We’re fully stocked and our Christmas Club is now open.
Take the pressure off the festive season—select your gifts early and pay in easy weekly instalments. ❤️🎄

14/11/2025

🎊 Today we celebrate a fantastic milestone—10 years of Ollie as the supervising Pharmacist at Merlin Pharmacy!
A massive congratulations and thank you for your care, professionalism, and commitment to the people of Doughiska and the surrounding areas. Here’s to the next 10! 🎉

13/11/2025

Last week, I delivered the second session in my three part wellbeing series, The Fundamentals of Wellbeing, for the staff at University of Galway, focusing on the second P, namely People.

Why People? Because, to quote Chris Peterson, ‘other people matter’ and they matter profoundly.

We explored how:
+ Deep, supportive relationships are one of the strongest predictors of long-term health and happiness.
+ The people most satisfied in their relationships at 50 were the healthiest at 80.
+ Neglected relationships, just like unused muscles can atrophy.

From loneliness and social isolation to earned status and belonging, we dove into how connection is more than a luxury, it’s a survival tool.

We explored practical frameworks:
+ The Relationship Map to help identify opportunity and danger zones in our social lives.
+ The 5 Love Languages & The Four Horsemen for deepening romantic relationships.
+ The Earned Status Test: Would the richest person in the world be able to buy this tomorrow?

And my favourite quote from the session?
‘Humans need a tribe, like bees need a hive.’

This isn’t just theory. It’s real world, ready to apply wellbeing science that anyone can use to build better connections at home and at work.

If you work in a team, manage people, or simply want to thrive in life, start with your relationships.

Thanks to Hynes Cassidy as always.

05/11/2025

Early in my career as a pharmacist, two patients walked into the pharmacy on the same day with identical prescriptions for cholesterol lowering medication.

Patient A dropped his script in, popped next door for fish and chips, and picked up both without a second glance.

Patient B, however, asked, ‘Could we chat for a moment?’

We sat down and talked about lifestyle: food, movement, stress, and sleep. He left with the same prescription, but also with a plan.

One year later:
Patient A was now on higher doses, new meds, and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Patient B had changed his habits, reversed his numbers, and no longer needed the meds at all.

That day changed how I thought about health, lifestyle, and wellbeing.

Because it revealed a truth:
Small, consistent daily choices shape our lives far more than one-off events or drastic goals.

In wellbeing, whether personal or professional, it’s not about perfection or willpower. It’s about the compound effect of small habits.

So next time you’re tempted to look for the magic solution, pause and ask:
What’s my 'fish and chips' moment today, and what small shift could I make instead?

I have just released my first book which contains this and other relevant stories. If you would like to order your copy, just click on this link
https://seamus.kartra.com/page/yourwellbeingrevampbook

30/10/2025

Now stocking these beautiful toxin free ST EVAL candles!

100% soy candles which are safe to burn. They are free from petroleum byproducts and burn with minimal soot, making them ideal for homes with children, pets, or anyone with respiratory sensitivities. Combined with phthalate-free essential oils and natural wicks, they deliver a safe and clean scent experience.

22/10/2025

It’s Here!

Today, I’m proud to announce the official launch of my new book:
Your Wellbeing REVAMP: A Practical Guide to Thriving in Life and Work.

This book has been months in the writing, and years in the making. It’s grounded in science, inspired by my work as a pharmacist and wellbeing specialist, and fuelled by my passion to help people move from exhausted to energised.

What you’ll find inside:
+ A practical framework (REVAMP) to reclaim your energy and clarity
+ Strategies to thrive at work and in life, without guilt or overwhelm
+ Small daily steps that lead to lasting results

This isn’t just another ‘wellbeing fad.’ It’s about creating lasting change by focusing on what really matters: how you think, how you feel, and how you live each day.

Who is Your Wellbeing Revamp for?
✔ Busy professionals
✔ Leaders who want to model healthy habits
✔ Parents juggling a million things
✔ Anyone tired of chasing goals that don’t stick

If you want to supercharge your wellbeing without overhauling your life, this is your roadmap. If you want more energy, focus, joy, and balance in daily life then this book will be of relevance.

To everyone who’s supported me on this journey, a huge thank you, and a special word of mention goes to Orla Kelly, Book Publisher for all her assistance and valuable guidance.

To order your copy today click this link https://seamus.kartra.com/page/yourwellbeingrevampbook or scan the QR code below.


lbeingrevampbook

19/10/2025

Just a few days until launch!

When I tell people I’ve written a book about wellbeing, I often hear:
‘I’d love to prioritise my wellbeing, but I don’t have time.’
‘I don’t even know where to start.’

I wrote Your Wellbeing REVAMP for exactly that reason.

Wellbeing doesn’t come from giant life overhauls. It comes from small, consistent habits that take just minutes a day. It’s designed to help you boost your wellbeing in ways that are simple, science-backed, and actually doable, no matter how busy life gets.

Inside the book, I share:
+ Real stories from my 30+ years as a pharmacist & wellbeing specialist
+ Tools to help you break free from stress and exhaustion
+ Daily strategies to build energy, clarity, and resilience

It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress. Even a 1% shift in how you approach your day can completely change your trajectory over time. And that’s the real power of this book: making wellbeing realistic, accessible, and sustainable.

This book is for leaders, professionals, parents, and anyone who’s ever felt they’re just ‘getting through’ the day. Because you deserve more than just getting through, you deserve to thrive.

Launch is almost here and I’m really excited to share it with you.

15/10/2025

This week I spent two hours with a great group of men working on the Rural Social Scheme in East Galway, through Galway Rural Development.

What really struck me as I was contemplating on the diversity of the groups I get to work with was that each group has different stories, different challenges, different circumstances.

And yet, the same message resonates deeply, as it always does, no matter who’s in the room.

That wellbeing isn’t something distant or complicated. It’s not reserved for certain professions, income levels, or lifestyles. It’s the deep driver that connects every one of us, the shared desire to feel good and function effectively in our daily lives.

What struck me once again is how universal this message is. Whether I’m with corporate teams, healthcare staff, community groups, or men in rural Ireland it resonates the same way, because it’s true.

Wellbeing grows from the same foundation everywhere:
+ Small steps.
+ Done consistently.
+ That compound into something powerful.

We don’t need to overhaul our lives. We just need to start, and keep going.
A huge thank you to Galway Rural Development for the invitation and to the men who participated with openness, humour, and honesty.

13/10/2025

Medicine, Mindset & the Power of Expectation

A call to healthcare professionals to reframe the conversation.
After decades spent at the coalface of community pharmacy, one truth has become increasingly clear; How we speak about medicines can have a significant influence on how effective they are.

In my latest article for the Irish Pharmacy Union Review, I explore how expectation shapes outcomes, not just psychologically, but biologically. Drawing from the science of the placebo and nocebo effects, I make the case that it's time for us in healthcare to move from risk aversion to science-informed optimism.

Why this matters for:
+ Pharmacists: Every counselling moment is a chance to influence outcomes, for better or worse.
+ Prescribers & Nurses: The words we choose can boost compliance, ease anxiety, and enhance healing.
+ Pharma Industry Professionals: Understanding the psychology of expectation can enhance how we communicate benefits, not just risks.

Imagine if every medication handover included:
‘This has helped thousands of people regain control over their health.’
‘Yes, there may be side effects, but here’s what most people experience, and how we manage it.’
‘The benefits often far outweigh the discomfort, and we’ll support you every step of the way.’

This isn’t sugar-coating. It’s balanced, ethical, patient-centred communication, and it may be far more powerful than we imagine.

Read the full article in this month’s IPU Review, link here.
https://ipu.ie/.../medicine-mindset-and-the-power-of.../

In his column this month, community pharmacist and positive psychology practitioner Séamus Ruane, looks at the power of expectation and suggests that pharmacists shift from risk aversion to science informed optimism, when counselling patients.

08/10/2025

Yesterday at the University of Galway, we kicked off The Fundamentals of Wellbeing, a new monthly series running from October to December, designed specifically for university staff.

In a world full of wellness trends, hacks, and headlines, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or distracted by the latest ‘must-do’ wellbeing fad.

But here's the truth:
+ The foundations of wellbeing haven’t changed.
+ We already know what works.
+ The magic lies in keeping it simple and consistent.

This series is about getting back to basics, the small steps that yield big results. Using the Pareto Principle as our lens, we’re focusing on the 20% of tools and habits that deliver 80% of the results.

These are:
+ Evidence-based practices
+ Easy-to-implement daily actions
+ Practical strategies that actually fit into real, busy lives

Yesterday we started with a simple visualisation of our 80 year old self, and asked the question, ‘When it comes to your 80th birthday party, will you be dancing, or sitting, forced to enjoy the moment from the confines of your chair?’ The answer to this question is written long before our 80th birthday, but it serves as a powerful reminder that what we do today in terms of movement, nutrition, and restful recovery matter more than we think.

This isn’t about perfection, but about cutting through the noise and getting back to what really matters.

04/10/2025

This week I had the privilege of delivering a wellbeing session to some of the dedicated clinical staff of CAMHS, where we explored The 4 Ps of Wellbeing; People, Positive Emotions, Presence, and Physical Vitality.

Working in such an emotionally demanding environment, the wellbeing of staff is not just a nice to have, it’s the very foundation that enables them to show up with compassion, energy, and resilience for the young people and families they support.

Due to much discussion we only got to discuss two of the Ps, namely;
People – Relationships are at the heart of wellbeing. Research consistently shows that it’s the quality of our connections, not the number, is what makes the biggest difference. Even one supportive relationship can buffer us against stress and help us bounce back from challenges. In the session, we reflected on how small daily moments of connection with colleagues, patients, and family members can be protective, nourishing, and sustaining in the face of pressure.

Positive Emotions – Far from being fluffy or airy fairy, positive emotions are essential for broadening our thinking, strengthening resilience, and boosting creativity. They act as micro-recharges for our nervous system. A simple moment of gratitude, humour, or joy doesn’t just feel good in the moment, it builds the psychological resources we rely on when times are tough.

The takeaway message we discussed:
+ Wellbeing isn’t about making huge lifestyle changes.
+ It’s about small, consistent habits, two minutes of mindfulness, one intentional check-in with a colleague, or choosing a perspective that focuses on gratitude instead of frustration.

The team at CAMHS, just like any team operating in a caregiving environment, operate in an often intense, emotionally demanding environment. The work can be tough, complex, and often unseen, but by caring for their own wellbeing, they can continue to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others.