Dawn Parry embodies her company’s core values – human, effective, expert – and puts 12 years of pharmacy experience to good use

Anyone who works in pharmacy knows that the job doesn’t stop at the shop door. Upon leaving her branch of Well Pharmacy one afternoon, accuracy checking technician Dawn Parry spotted a man staggering along Glasgow’s Croftfoot Road. Quickly realising that he was showing signs of a stroke, she summoned her colleagues to call an ambulance and took care of the patient while waiting for medical assistance to arrive. This incident led to Dawn receiving a Gold Star Award from her employer, and helped her Recognition of Excellence Award entry stand out, so that she was Highly Commended in the Team Leader category, sponsored by Klear-vol.

Since being promoted to non-pharmacist branch manager in May 2017, Dawn hasn’t had an easy time. She showed exemplary leadership qualities during higher than usual levels of absence due to sickness, ensuring that remaining staff absorbed the impact while customers continued to receive seamless care. Richard Geissler, the branch’s pharmacist manager, highlights how, instead of feeling run ragged, the team emerged from the difficult period feeling stronger, more resilient and proud of their success.

This isn’t to say that Dawn is a hard taskmaster. While she prides herself on how she leads, coaches and inspires her team to work to the best of their abilities, she makes sure they recognise their successes and maintain a healthy work-life balance. She also builds collaborative relationships with GPs, other health professionals and customers, to achieve the best outcomes.

Numark’s head of professional development and Awards judge Laura Reed commented: “Dawn is a great example of a manager. She works hard to ensure high standards at all times. She is able to adapt to challenges such as staff shortages and lead the team through difficult times. She also recognises that a healthy work-life balance is the key to a successful team.”