PHARMACY’S best were celebrated for their crucial contribution to healthcare at the 26th annual Pharmacy Business Awards in London last Friday (2).
More than 680 guests attended the event, which pays tribute to the exceptional dedication of pharmacists who safeguard the health and wellbeing of local communities, as well as the industry that supports them.
Pharmacy teams, leading products, wholesalers and manufacturers were recognised on the night.
Rajan Shah and Sanjay Patel of West Ealing Pharmacy in London took home the top honour, the Pharmacy Business of the Year Award.
Their small premises was transformed into a larger, modern, state-of-the-art community pharmacy, using a range of technology. It has six consultation rooms, offers a wide range of services to patients and works in collaboration with local GPs.
The Ram Solanki Editor’s Award, named in honour of Ramniklal Solanki CBE, founder and editor-in-chief of hosts Asian Media Group and Pharmacy Business, was presented to Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association.
Guests at the ceremonyAMG
For more than a decade, Picard has been a powerful voice for the profession at national level, serving on the sector’s key negotiating and representative bodies, appearing regularly on television and radio and making pharmacy’s case to MPs. He said he was surprised and humbled to be honoured.
Hosted by Asian Media Group (AMG), publishers of Pharmacy Business, Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat, the Pharmacy Business Awards also brought together pharmaceutical industry leaders, healthcare executives and leading politicians at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in central London.
Chief guest Lord Leong CBE, minister for small business and enterprise, told attendees that community pharmacies make a strong contribution to “building healthier communities and stronger local economies”.
“Before entering public service, I spent more than four decades building and running businesses. I know the satisfaction of building a team and earning a customer’s trust. I also understand the responsibility of meeting payroll, managing cash flow and making difficult decisions when costs rise. For pharmacy owners, those responsibilities sit alongside a profound duty of care to patients. That deserves recognition and a government that recognises the connection between a sustainable business and a dependable local health service.
“As small business minister, I want businesses like yours to have the confidence to invest, develop your teams and adopt technology that makes your working life easier. So, we must listen to your experience when deciding how to remove unnecessary barriers. Strong community pharmacies help build healthier communities and stronger local economies.”
He went on to recognise the contribution made by community pharmacy owners and pharmacy teams.
Lord LeongAMG
“Every nomination reflects a collective effort often sustained over many years. Thank you to Pharmacy Business for bringing that work into the spotlight. To every finalist and winner, congratulations. You should be proud of what you have achieved, and to everyone here, thank you for the businesses you built, the people you employed and the care you give.”
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business, discussed prime minister Andy Burnham’s aspirations for health and social care and for bringing hope and belief back to the country. Pharmacy can play an important part in that, he said.
“Our new prime minister offered a message of hope and of a Britain that starts to believe again.
“Pharmacy should be central to that ambition, with growing prescribing capability and a network embedded in communities across the country. Pharmacies are accessible health hubs that can relieve pressure on general practice, reduce hospital admissions and directly support local economic revival.
“The prime minister promised a circuit breaker for Britain, and a government that puts the care of people at the heart of everything it does. Community pharmacy is where that promise can be kept, in every neighbourhood and in every postcode.”
The nominees and award winners on the night demonstrated the skills and expertise community pharmacies can bring to primary care.
The Pharmacy Team of the Year Award went to the Clarepharm Pharmacy team in Honiton, Devon, led by Ronak Maroo. The team describes its work in community pharmacy not as an occupation but as a “mission” to positively impact its community. Its team culture particularly impressed the judges. Every member is mentored, every opinion valued and every milestone celebrated, with a continuous approach to learning delivering effective results for patient care.
The Pharmacy Business Inspiring Woman of the Year Award went to Abiramme Sarangan of Sapphire Pharmacy, Romford, recognising her as a role model for women in pharmacy.
Shailesh SolankiAMG
Determined to own a community pharmacy, she persevered through setbacks and opened her doors just months after having her first child. Balancing a young family with a new business, she empowers her team to step outside their comfort zones and shows that ambition and family life can coexist.
The Independent Prescriber of the Year Award went to Kamal Nathwani of The Wellness Pharmacy, Southwark. Since qualifying as an independent prescriber – a qualification he did not undertake until his late 50s – he has embedded prescribing within an integrated clinical service.
Prescribing has dramatically changed the services offered, attracting a wide range of private patients who cannot access conventional NHS services and offering easily accessible, personalised care.
The Pharmacy Assistant of the Year Award went to Lorraine Monk of Day Lewis Pharmacy in Wallington. She started as a Saturday girl aged 16 and, four decades on, is still at the heart of her pharmacy. She has helped long-term smokers quit for good, personally delivered medicines to housebound patients and taken blood pressure checks into a local church.
The Pharmacy Business Development Award went to Sajeel Abrar of NHL Pharmacy, Preston, for transforming a traditional dispensing pharmacy into an integrated neighbourhood healthcare hub. By integrating pharmacy, eyecare and specialist clinical services under one roof, the team created a model that supports NHS priorities, improves patient outcomes and strengthens the local healthcare system. Gompels Pharmacy, working in collaboration with Royal United Hospitals Bath, took the Enterprise Award. Low retention of pharmacists at the trust was dramatically improved through joint working with Gompels. Trainees are given the opportunity to work in both community pharmacy and secondary care as part of a multisector training scheme.
Paul Mayberry of Mayberry Pharmacy in Caerphilly received the Pharmacy Technology Award. He designed his own patient medication record system for the group’s pharmacies. With mandatory barcode checks, a robot-driven central hub and intelligent stock ordering, the system has virtually eliminated dispensing errors, significantly reduced stock levels and freed pharmacists to focus on clinical care.
