With great pleasure, C+D is delighted to announce The Pills - a list of up and coming talent spread throughout pharmacy.
After celebrating The Pills last night at The Ivy at Tower Bridge, C+D can reveal the list of 25 people working in pharmacy that we feel represent some of the outstanding talent in pharmacy in 2025 - from success stories to emerging future prospects.
As you can imagine, this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many more brilliant individuals working in pharmacy, and had we not capped numbers at 25, it would have been longer.
From all the entries and nominations, C+D’s editorial team whittled the names down to 25 - and here they are...
Jessica Porter, brand manager, Perrigo
Awkward conversations have always been part of pharmacy, but Jessica set out to eliminate one of them – around emergency contraception. Long the subject of “alarming myths and taboos that exist around this product and the wider category” she developed a consultation tool that provided them with a “step-by-step conversation flow” so that everyone, patient and pharmacist, feels “empowered and educated in their contraceptive decisions and choices”.
Tackling this situation with a useful toolkit is good for patients, good for pharmacists, will reduce unwanted pregnancies and likely improve sales – and there is nothing awkward about any of that.
Rahul Sharda, managing director, Butt Lane Pharmacy
A pharmacy owner at Butt Lane Pharmacy since the young age of 24, Rahul runs a “forward thinking pharmacy business, with a blend of NHS and private income”.
He’s grown the NHS side of the business from 6000 items per month to over 15000 items, but he also plays a stellar role in driving the industry forward too, sitting on various committees, advisory boards, making multiple media appearances on TV, radio and press, lobbying politicians and lecturing students – and offering them work experience – to “inspire the next generation” of community pharmacists in their future careers.
Simmy Daniel, programme delivery lead, NHS North East London
Starting out as a pharmacy assistant at Britannia pharmacy all the way back in 2012, Simmy joined the NHS in 2013 as a pre-reg pharmacist and started her climb. After spending time as a senior clinical pharmacist, she joined the GPhC, before returning to the NHS to tackle a new challenge - workforce development strategy.
As pharmacy evolves, her current role as programme delivery lead for NHS North East London is a crucial one, weaving multiple strands together – on a national, regional, system, and local workforce level - to make sure that pharmacy priorities and initiatives are deployed in effective and cohesive fashion.
Ather Diab, co-owner, Bruntsfield Pharmacy
Transformative change was Ather’s ambition when, three years after qualification as a pharmacist, he took ownership of Bruntsfield Pharmacy & Travel and Health Clinic which he says bought his vision of an “innovative and patient-focused community pharmacy to life”.
All the changes were made because of the positive impact on patient care and community health, and he says they demonstrate that “age is no barrier to leadership and innovation in pharmacy”. Travel vaccines, blood testing, ear wax removal, cholesterol and diabetes testing are just some of the services now on offer, and he will qualify as an IPP in February.
Chamene Hicks, pharmacy manager, Medical Research Network
After graduating with a degree in pharmacology from Nottingham Trent, Chamene moved up the career ladder through pharmacy technician roles. She is now pharmacy manager at clinical trials specialists Medical Research Network.
Chamene and colleagues try and ensure that patients taking part in trials are comfortable and have a good experience – as well as trying to make the experience quicker, easier (including piloting giving patients the option to undergo trials at home) and more inclusive. This helps with patient recruitment – and retention – invaluable as the world of clinical trials expands, particularly around the “stratospheric rise” of GLP-1 applications.
Arvin Abdollahzadeh, student
A-level student Arvin spent the summer after his GCSEs as a pharmacy dispenser. He realised how much time was being wasted manually looking up a patients history and contact details to contact them, so using his programming skills he created a ‘bulk SMS’ tool to encourage eligible patients to come forward for their Covid vaccinations and other services – and bookings went through the roof.
Feedback from contractors was “overwhelmingly amazing” and “contractors saw their shelves emptying very quickly. It’s maximising profits, making everyone in the dispensary happy, and making the patients happy as well.”
Umeh Ali, clinical pharmacist, Healthbridge Direct
What doesn’t Umeh do? Leadership and mentoring, strategic management, building an inclusive culture, authoring thought-provoking articles – she says her career over the last eight years has been “rich with diverse experiences and achievements, from primary care to NHS England.” Her career has included spells at LloydsPharmacy and Boots (as a pharmacist).
During her time at Boots, way back in in 2019, she told C+D she wanted to become a clinical pharmacist - and she is now clinical pharmacist specialising in complex long-term conditions. Throughout her career she has remained passionate about promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across the sector.
Peter Oakley, ACT pharmacy technician, Health Provision
Pharmacy presents many challenges, but Peter’s ability to “balance high workload demands while maintaining exceptional patient services” handles perhaps the biggest of them all. Another? Collaborating with GPs, which he also does well. Another?
The pipeline of talent coming through – and he has demonstrated leadership by supporting other team members through structured training and mentorship. His nomination says he is a “proactive, solutions-driven pharmacy professional, who goes above and beyond to improve pharmacy services and patient outcomes, making a tangible impact and driving positive change”. Say no more!
Bhavika Dewchand, PCN Lead, Healthbridge Direct
Bhavika spent the first seven years of her career at Boots, joining as a relief pharmacist before going onto spend five years as a pharmacy manager at the high street chain. She became a PCN clinical pharmacist before becoming a PCN lead, offering supervision, training and support to up and coming clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
She says she’s used her qualification as an independent prescriber to contribute to the success of “long-term condition reviews and vaccination programs” and says her goal is to “foster a culture where addressing health inequalities within our PCN community is a priority” – and importantly, empowering her team to do just that.
Abimbola Alaba, pharmacist, Mitcham Pharmacy
Obama follows Abimbola on Twitter, but more importantly Abimbola set out to “redefine what an independent pharmacy can achieve” when he took over Mitcham pharmacy a year ago. Since then notable achievements include increasing monthly dispensing from 3,000 to 8,000 items. His nomination described him as an “outstanding leader in community pharmacy, someone who does not just follow trends but sets them.
His acquisition and transformation of Mitcham Pharmacy have redefined what an independent pharmacy can achieve— combining innovation, efficiency, and compassionate patient care.” These include initiatives like childhood immunisations, CMDU services for Long COVID, and proactive preventative health checks.
Olivia McKearney, growth marketer, Locate a Locum
Olivia’s work at Locate a Locum has had a transformative impact on the UK pharmacy industry, helping locums and pharmacy students become better engaged with the sector. In 2024, she managed the LAL’s e-learning platform to help deliver essential clinical skills to pharmacists, as well as attending numerous university events to advertise the benefits of locum work.
Last year, Olivia oversaw the launch of the LAL’s first-ever Pharmacy Student Scholarship, which provided £1,000 each to five final-year students – the success of the initiative laid the groundwork for its expansion in 2025. Olivia developed strong partnerships with industry leaders throughout 2024 and helped to foster a support network for locums.
Dalveer Johal, COO, Community Pharmacy North East London
Go back a little over a decade to when a young Dalveer Johal was starting out life in pharmacy as a pre-reg pharmacist at Lloydspharmacy after graduating with a first class masters degree in pharmacy from Kent University. He made steady progress up the ranks before joining Community Pharmacy North East London as pharmacy services manager.
He’s now chief operating officer. Outside his evident pharmacy expertise, his “genuine” dedication to enhancing patient care and customer experience, his pursuit of excellence and “great positivity and enthusiasm” are the qualities that got him there.
Jane Msumba, clinical pharmacist, Pharmschoolsis
Jane has been supporting MPharm students through her comprehensive study resource Pharmschoolsis, that has sold over 3,000 copies worldwide to help future pharmacist understand clinical pharmacy through engaging mnemonics, flashcards and Q&A sections. It has led her to design an e-learning program on cardiovascular therapeutics for the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education.
She has also launched Inner Glow Clinic, a health coaching platform that uses Jane’s Functional Imagery Training Advanced Practitioner qualification to integrate mindset reprogramming with lifestyle medicine, which supports women in achieving healthier lifestyles. This led to her delivering a webinar for the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners.
Matty Rawding, medical cannabis pharmacist, Curaleaf
Matty set a blistering pace throughout 2024 to expand people’s awareness of the medical cannabis industry in the UK and to break down some of the barriers often associated with their products. He empowered healthcare professionals by increasing their knowledge base of medical cannabis, and ensured that any incoming products met the strict quality standards in the UK which enabled the highest level of patient care.
His work allowed him to help improve the quality of life of patients suffering from conditions such as chronic pain, MS and epilepsy. Matty has pushed the medical cannabis industry forward in many ways and has even begun studying for a PhD to help further improve patient outcomes from such products.
Taslima Begum, apprentice, Lincoln Pharmacy
Taslima has just completed her level 3 pharmacy technician course at Lincoln Pharmacy and showed a willingness to learn and take on new responsibilities as she qualified. It has seen her utilise her communication skills to walk through patients the benefits of getting vaccinated and utilising the pharmacy’s otoscopy services.
Often patients ask for Taslima, especially women who hadn’t previously felt comfortable accessing services because of cultural sensitivities where they feel more comfortable using services led by a woman. This has improved community engagement in the local area and developed stronger relationships with patients thanks to Taslima’s approach.
Rahul Kara, MHRA broker and pharmacist, Medicycle
Rahul’s work with Medicycle has allowed community pharmacies to trade medicines safely and sustainably, helping to tackle medicine wastage and overcome supply chain inefficiencies in the sector. The platform includes 18% of medicines identified as being in short supply, and Medicycle helps to improve access to these rather than wasting the medication.
It is an MHRA-licensed broker for medicine trading, and is recognised by the UN’s Race to Zero campaign to achieve net zero emissions after reducing over 10,000 kg of CO₂e emissions to date. Rahul also secured an investment from Bupa through their eco-Disruptive program to widen Medicycle’s scope in community pharmacy.
Kaniksha Aggarwal, prison pharmacist, Prison Pharmacy Connect
Kaniksha brings the challenge – or should that be challenges - of prison pharmacy to life in inspiring fashion. She launched the Prison Pharmacy Connect group to change the perception of working in a prison pharmacy and raise awareness of the important work done in this area of pharmacy.
It follows on from her completion of the chief pharmaceutical officer’s fellowship scheme, and Kaniskha will be launching a podcast to facilitate discussions from health professionals across the prison sector to share the experiences of what healthcare looks like in a prison setting.
Harshad Karia, eHub pharmacist lead, Hammersmith and Fulham Partnership PCN
Harshad’s work as an eHub Pharmacist Lead has helped to engage pharmacists in the Hammersmith and Fulham Partnership PCN and integrate them into the eHub system. The service has now grown so pharmacists offer six weekly sessions providing 110 consultations, and he has trained 20 staff overall to work in the eHub system.
He mentors pharmacy students and offers shadowing opportunities and has improved diabetes care by collaborating with partners across healthcare to improve patient outcomes and treatment targets. He is working with NHS England to explore new services and treatment options in this area and is often engaged to manage complex diabetes cases.
Ayah Abbass, clinical pharmacist, PDA
Ayah earns her place in The Pills for her tireless advocacy in championing gender equity within the profession. As the immediate past president of the National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP), she fearlessly highlighted issues such as workplace discrimination, harassment, and the gender pay gap that are too often ignored.
Through powerful speaking engagements, mentorship and acting as a ‘big sister’ to pharmacists in need of support, Ayah has ensuring women’s voices are heard in pharmacy. She is a true trailblazer in the sector’s push for inclusivity and quality.
Romil Mandvia, CVD faculty lead, Hammersmith and Fulham Partnership PCN
Romil has driven care improvements in his role as Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Faculty Lead, and has become a vital staff member for GPs and pharmacists to learn from with his knowledge of CVD management. He introduced Lp(a) testing within his practice and his interventions have prompted experts in the field to apply for British Heart Foundation funding to integrate this practice into primary care prevention more widely.
He also established a PCN-wide working group to share best practice and data in CVD, and has increased the prescribing rate over the last two years for lipid-lowering medications to support patients.
Anna Matthews, owner, Nanty Pharmacy
Anna stands out for her fearless ambition and commitment to her community. At just 29, she took a risk and opened her own pharmacy in a move she described at the time as “quite surreal” – and the process itself was not without its challenges.
But since then, Nanty Pharmacy has completed thousands of independent prescribing consultations, expanded local pharmacy services – with more to come - and hosted free mental health support, proving that ambition and compassion can go hand in hand in driving meaningful change.
Farhad Mehmood, co-owner, Bruntsfield Pharmacy
A few new strands of grey hair is the only drawback after a blistering year at Bruntsfield. Along with co-owner Ather, Farhad says the pair have been working “non-stop to grow and adapt in an ever-changing pharmacy landscape” and says it’s been both exciting and stressful – although it’s a “learning curve we’ve embraced wholeheartedly”.
The goal has “always been to bring fresh ideas to independent pharmacy, whether through improving services, launching new initiatives, or finding better ways to serve our community” and this has led to some “incredible wins” – including a nomination as Independent Pharmacy of the Year at the 2024 C+D Awards.
Natasha Jones, area manager, GM Graham
Natasha is a driving force in community pharmacy, an exceptional leader and able to turn bold ideas into reality. As an Area Manager, she masterminded the successful rollout of the RSV vaccination pilot in nine GM Graham pharmacies after securing a competitive local bid, and played a key role in expanding COVID-19 vaccine access through in-store and pop-up clinics.
Known for her strategic mindset and unwavering dedication, Natasha tackles challenges head-on—whether it’s solving staffing issues or launching new services. While shaping the future of pharmacy, she’s also training as a technician, proving there’s no limit to her ambition.
Phedra Dee, student and pharmacy vlogger
Phedra is still studying for the MPharm but through her lifestyle vlogging, she has welcomed the younger generation to seeing what working towards a career in pharmacy is all about. With over 115k subscribers and four million views of her YouTube videos, she combines her passion for pharmacy and content creation.
Phedra shares study tips and POV clips of how she completes tasks on placements, as well as vlog about shopping, skincare and makeup. Her content has helped to debunk what pharmacists do and it has inspired younger viewers to choose pharmacy as a career.
Joshua Brown, dispenser, Medic8 Health Group
Joshua’s work as a dispenser had a significant impact on patients in his local community in 2024. By regularly assisting in identifying potential medication errors and resolving prescription discrepancies, he contributed to the overall safety of the patients in his community. Joshua is currently pursuing a pharmacist technician qualification, and this will allow him to take on more responsibility in the workplace.
Last year, he led numerous campaigns in the pharmacy to help raise awareness of common health conditions including diabetes and asthma. During a recent smoking cessation campaign, Joshua supported over 50 patients in successfully quitting smoking. He continually made meaningful contributions to patient care throughout 2024.
