Pharmacists have paid tribute to C+D award winner and "true gent" Steve Newbury, who died on Monday (October 7).

The loss of Mr Newbury, owner of Newbury Pharmacy in Mumbles, Swansea was a "great blow to pharmacy in Wales", his colleagues told C+D yesterday (October 10).

The father-of-two, believed to have been in his 50s, died after he collapsed while running the Lyon Marathon in France on Sunday. Mr Newbury, who had also run the London and Paris marathons for charity this year, was a "consummate professional" and "pillar of the community", his colleagues said.

Staff at his pharmacy, which he had owned for more than 22 years, said they were "devastated" by his death.

Steve Newbury: "He was just a giver and he gave his time, his energy and his expertise"	More about Steve Newbury   Winner: Business Initiative of the Year 2012       jab uptake
	Richard Evans, vice chairman of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Welsh Pharmacy Board, who had known Mr Newbury for more than 30 years, said he was a pharmacist that everyone looked up to and that it was a privilege to have known him.

Mr Evans told C+D that he took members of the Welsh Assembly to visit Mr Newbury's pharmacy because it was run to such a high standard. "He was innovative in providing pharmacy services and always putting the patient first."

Community Pharmacy Wales chairman Chris James said Mr Newbury, who was an independent prescriber, was "at the forefront of pharmacy in Wales, always pushing the boundaries".

"He always had time for his patients and customers and always built up an excellent reputation with fellow pharmacists, GPs and other healthcare workers. He was a strong believer in supporting his elderly patients and enhancing the lot of the community he served," he added.

Mr Newbury won a number of awards including C+D Business Initiative of the Year 2012 for integrating a therapy centre into his pharmacy. He had also built up a reputation for his expertise in substance misuse and was a strong believer in supporting his elderly patients, Mr James said.

Cath O' Brien, director of the Welsh Centre for Pharmacy Professional Education, said Mr Newbury was a "consummate professional" who always had time for other people. "He was just a giver and he gave his time, his energy and his expertise," she said.

Contractor Stephen Howorth of Llandaff Pharmacy in Cardiff called him a "real beacon for pharmacy in Wales" and Paul Gimson, the RPS director for Wales said he was a "great pharmacist and a true gent". "He was a go-to guy to get advice and support," he added.

Mimi Lau, Numark director of pharmacy services, described him as "very understated, a real gentleman and a lovely nice guy".

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