In just a short space of time, Claire Mackie has made a positive contribution to the Right Medicine Pharmacy group, and this did not go unnoticed by the judges.

Claire hasn’t been in pharmacy long. It is just over a year since she left her career in dentistry, where she was first a dental nurse and then practice manager, to join the Right Medicine Pharmacy chain in Scotland as retail operations coordinator. But it was clearly the right move, as proved by her being crowned winner of the Retail Skills Award, which this year was sponsored by Puressentiel.

In the short time Claire has been at Right Medicine Pharmacy, she has remerchandised two branches of the 22-strong chain, which are seeing an increase in sales of between 20 and 30 per cent as a result. She has also freshened up in-store point of sale materials so that offers are easier for customers to identify, and overhauled window posters so they highlight stop smoking programmes, which has caused an upturn in the number of people accessing these services.

Social media is also on Claire’s radar, and she has revamped the company’s Facebook page, making sure that offers and promotions go out via this channel and also on Twitter. Awareness of the pharmacy chain is growing, thanks to blogs Claire has set up that highlight the different things that pharmacists can do, something she says that not only raises awareness of everyday health concerns but is also loved by the local communities served by Right Medicine Pharmacy branches.

As Awards judge and principal associate at Pharmacy Complete Mike Holden says: “Claire has obviously got great drive and capability and is empowered to use it.” And fellow judge and managing director of Metaphor Development Liam Stapleton applauding Claire for her efforts, which have “refocused the retail offer, leading to business growth”.

Claire credits much of her success to her line manager, head of group operations and previous Recognition of Excellence Awards winner Richard Stephenson. “He has mentored me since I started at the company, has taught me everything I know, and encouraged me to enter the Training Matters Awards, although I never expected to win,” she says.

Claire has been accompanying Richard when he visits other branches, but will soon be striking out on her own to help staff achieve consistency in standards across the chain. This will bring her the face-to-face contact that is one of the few aspects of her old dentistry job she misses. But Claire doesn’t see herself returning to a patient- or public-facing role. “I really like what I do now and operations seems to be where my strengths lie,” she says, “so I’m not going anywhere.”