Pharmacy leaders celebrated for innovation at prestigious Pharmacy Business Awards 2024

The showpiece awards event of the pharmacy calendar was attended by business leaders from the pharma industry, healthcare executives, and leading politicians

• Sarwar Alam
• 11 October, 2024

By: Sarwar Alam

LEADING members of the community pharmacy sector were recognised and celebrated for their innovative work at the annual Pharmacy Business Awards last Wednesday (2).

The showpiece awards event of the pharmacy calendar was attended by business leaders from the pharma industry, healthcare executives, and leading politicians among the 650 guests at the event held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in central London.

Chief guest, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock acknowledged the critical role those in attendance played in the healthcare system and vowed to put community pharmacists “right at the heart” of plans to transform the NHS.

Among the other politicians in attendance were the newly elected trio of Sadik Al-Hassan, who is a community pharmacist, Kanishka Narayan, and Dr Zubir Ahmed. The Labour MP for Brent West, Barry Gardiner helped present the top award, the Pharmacy Business of the Year.

In his keynote speech, Kinnock, who is responsible for primary care in his role as minister of state at the Department of Health and Social Care, said that in his short time in the role, he had already seen just how much patients rely on the services of community pharmacies and the lengths that pharmacists go to deliver care to their communities.

“For far too long, governments have failed to recognise the essential role that community pharmacies play in safeguarding the nation’s health, particularly in areas of our country where there’s depravation,” said Kinnock.

“This government recognises that pharmacies can and should play an even greater part in providing healthcare on the high street and this is going to be a top priority for us if we’re going to deliver our government mission, not just in terms of health but also in terms of economic growth and opportunity, because a healthy society and workforce are preconditioned for prosperity and growth.

“There’s a huge amount of untapped potential in this group, and government is committed to ensuring that you can put your skills and your knowledge to maximum benefit, not least because by doing so, we take pressure off our local healthcare systems.”

Kinnock added that coming to an agreement over a new pharmacy funding contract was a “top priority” for the government. “I have heard from Community Pharmacy England about the increasing difficulty the sector faces in raising finances for their businesses and the lengths the contractors have felt forced to go to keep their businesses open to continue to serve the patients who rely on them,” he said.

“Our mission as a government is to get our health and care system back on its feet and fit for the future. But this is a national mission that can only be achieved in partnership with you, with every person in this room. I look forward to hearing from and working with pharmacists from across the country as we progress our plans to embrace the skills, knowledge, and expertise of your dynamic and forward-thinking profession,” he said.

Hosted by the Asian Media Group (AMG), publishers of Pharmacy Business, and Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat news weeklies, the Pharmacy Business Awards have for 24 years championed the innovative work and dedication of community pharmacists. Shailesh Solanki, the executive editor of Pharmacy Business, urged the government to listen to the findings of Lord Darzi’s recent report into the NHS in which he said there is huge potential for a step change in the clinical role of pharmacists within the NHS.

“The stark reality is that community pharmacy is in a perilous state with record numbers of pharmacies closing over the last few years,” warned Solanki.

“The current pharmacy contract is not fit for purpose. A collapse in the pharmacy network would have a calamitous effect on the nation’s healthcare and deepen health inequalities that exist in our society.”

Solanki stressed that community pharmacy has huge potential to help alleviate  the country’s health challenges and can be part of the primary care solution, but this can only be achieved through a fair funding model.

“The new government has a unique opportunity to transform healthcare in our country by ensuring community pharmacy receives the funding it deserves and desperately needs,” he added.

“An ambitious funding settlement can truly harness the unrivalled accessibility of the sector.” Prior to announcement of the award winners, Shyaamal Solanki spoke of the work of the charity, Pharmacist Support, with money being raised through a silent auction and other activities during the evening.

There were a total of 17 community pharmacy awards and five product and manufacturers awards handed out at the event. Among the winners was, Wole Ososami of Westbury Chemist, Streatham  collected the Pharmacy Business of the Year Award.

Ososami was described as exceptional pharmacist operating at the heart of his local community, catering to all their healthcare needs. Open until midnight, 365 days a year, the judges said the pharmacy is truly a health and well-being hub, accessible to patients at all times.

The pharmacy’s large dispensary and five consultation rooms work round the clock ensuring the best patient care is delivered efficiently and with personalised care.

Ososami has embraced the latest technology, fully automating the dispensing process and has also developed an app to communicate with the public, where patients can upload e-scripts.

Yasmin Karsan of The Digital Clinical Safety Company received the Pharmacy Business Inspiring Woman of the Year Award. Judges said Karsan was a real powerhouse of innovation, who has also developed an “Introduction to AI” workshop and course to support pharmacy professionals navigating AI and its uses within pharmacy.

Her deep commitment to addressing health inequalities, focusing on the most vulnerable populations and low levels of health literacy led Karsan to developed clear content for social media to support patients and help to bridge the “health gap”.

In addition, as a clinical safety officer she has developed digital health solutions  with health tech companies, accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic status and ethnicity.

The Pharmacy Business Community Award went to Prakash Patel and A Kashem Rayhan of SAI Pharmacy in Aldgate.

Recognising the barriers their vulnerable community members face in accessing healthcare especially the elderly, ethnic minorities and disabled patients, the duo expanded their services to include BP checks, screenings, immunisations, and consultations.

The Ram Solanki Editor’s Award, in honour of AMG’s founder and editor-inchief, the late Ramniklal Solanki CBE, went to Michael Holden, who has been a strong advocate for community pharmacy for nearly five decades.