The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has revealed the winner of its competition to find the nation’s favourite pharmacist.

Emily Rose, pharmacist at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital, was selected from six regional winners as the winner of the second annual I Love My Pharmacist competition. A panel of judges, including last year's winner Reena Barai and C+D editor Jennifer Richardson, picked Ms Rose for her “outstanding contribution to rheumatoid arthritis care”, the RPS announced today (November 3).

Ms Rose – who the public had already voted as the competition's regional winner for the south of England – met the judges for a "tense" round of interviews last week (October 27), the RPS said. She spoke about how her review of medicines monitoring and prescribing at the hospital led her to create a "groundbreaking" treatment pathway for arthritis patients, it said. 

Ms Rose told C+D it is "a real honour” to win this year's competition – which launched in June with C+D as its only media partner – after being encouraged to enter by two colleagues. 

“[Pharmacists] don’t go the extra mile every day for prizes or for glory; we do it for our patients. But it is also nice to get some recognition,” she added. 

"It was a real pleasure to meet all the regional winners and hear their stories, and very tought to pick just one overall winner from such an impressive group," said Ms Richardson. "But, in the end, Emily stood out for her winning combination of clinical excellence and clear patient focus."

Pharmacy minister Alistair Burt, who threw his support behind the competition in August, extended his "huge congratulations" to Ms Rose for winning the competition “among such a talented field”, the RPS reported.

RPS president Ash Soni said he is “delighted with...the vast number of entries and votes from all over the UK” that the competition received. "We are looking forward to next year's competition being even bigger and better," he added.  

How do you think the competition has raised pharmacy's profile?

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