The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has revealed the 18 regional finalists for its competition to find Britain’s best-loved pharmacist.

Three finalists from each of six regions have been chosen from 86 applicants to the second annual I Love My Pharmacist initiative, which launched in June with C+D as its only media partner, the RPS announced today (August 18).

The finalists – who include both community and hospital pharmacists – were selected by a panel of judges, including last year’s winner Reena Barai and C+D editor Jennifer Richardson.

The public have until September 29 to vote for their favourite on the competition's website, and the six regional winners will be announced on October 13. The RPS will crown the overall winner on November 3.

Each of the finalists demonstrated “outstanding passion and commitment to their profession”, the RPS said. Their entries show a “staggering range of achievements...as well as astonishing, heart-warming and life-saving interventions and stories of personal sacrifice”, it added.

Ms Richardson said: “The entries provided a fascinating insight into what it means to be a pharmacist today: the diverse range of stories all ultimately boiled down to commitment to patients, and the finalists really stood out for this.”

Look out for information about the regional finalists from C+D later this week.
 

The finalists

 

North of England

David Halliwell, Lloydspharmacy, Isle of Man
Lyndsey Stanley, Liverpool Community Health Trust, Liverpool
Mahraz Nickkho-Amiry, Well Pharmacy, Wilmslow

Midlands and East

Shaheen Bhatia, P&S Chemist, Ilford
Shenu Barclay, locum, Coventry
Helen Watton, Holmcroft Pharmacy, Holmcroft

London and Kent

Ravi Sharma, Vicarage Health Centre, East London
Karen Dolphin, Greenlight Pharmacy, Hampstead
Christina Sprydou, Rose Pharmacy, Greenwich

Wales

Owain Brooks, Morriston Hospital, Cwmrhydyceirw
Ivana Wong, Boots, Merthyr Road, Cardiff
Dave Edwards, Boots, Whitland

South of England

Emily Rose, Southmead Hospital, Bristol
Jane Smith, Southmead Hospital, Bristol
David Stolton, Stoltons Pharmacy, Plymouth

Scotland

Kate McCusker, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow
Johnathan Laird, Pharmacy Manager, Turriff, Aberdeenshire
Calum Nelson, NHS 24, Glasgow