Creativity is key for Maria Buxton, who walked away with a Highly Commended in this year’s Pharmacy Champion category for the positive impact she has had on her community.

Like many others, Maria’s career in pharmacy started when she was looking for work to fit around her young family. Also like many, she ended up realising that it was a profession she is proud to belong to, finding it immensely rewarding to make a difference to people’s lives.

But what marks Maria out – and led to her receiving a Highly Commended in the National Pharmacy Association- sponsored Pharmacy Champion category – is her creativity. When a health awareness campaign comes round, she doesn’t just put up a poster in Cray Hill Pharmacy. Instead, she contacts relevant suppliers and charities for materials and resources and uses them to create eye-catching and award-winning displays at the store in Orpington, Kent. These draw people into the pharmacy, where staff – briefed by Maria beforehand – are able to explain what the pharmacy can offer in terms of services, advice and product reccomendations.

Maria explains: “Since qualifying as a health champion, I have taken every available opportunity to ‘make a healthy difference’ to the lives of many people in my local community. I feel excited and empowered that I can help change people’s lives for the better.”

Maria was slow to come forward for the Awards: pharmacy manager Ian Toto and South London Pharmacy Training project manager Zehra Safdar saw the invitation for entries and encouraged Maria to fill in an application form.

The judges commented favourably on Maria’s dedication, enthusiasm and encouragement of others, and were impressed at the positive impact she has had on the local population. Given that she has recently undertaken a leadership course – one of the first non-pharmacists to do so – and is just finishing her pharmacy technician training, there is clearly much more to come.