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Samantha Kedwards

Recognition of Excellence 2017 bookmark icon off

Samantha Kedwards

Samantha Kedwards has worked tirelessly to connect with her local community and spread the message of pharmacy first.

Samantha has seen two sides of pharmacy: community and industry. After working as a pharmacy technician for five years, she spent some time working for a manufacturer, first in quality control and then as a sales representative. But something was missing, so she started working at Buxted Pharmacy, where she regained the customer contact she had been craving.

The only position available when she started at the East Sussex store was medicines counter assistant, but Sam says she loves it. Realising that more people could benefit from the wealth of services provided at the pharmacy, Sam took it upon herself to design and display posters on community noticeboards in local villages and the nearby town of Uckfield, and distribute leaflets to people’s homes – something she does outside her working hours with her two young daughters in tow.

As well as getting more people into the pharmacy, Sam enjoys taking the business "on the road" by participating in events such as late night shopping. These occasions are the perfect opportunity to educate people about healthy lifestyles, perform various checks and provide advice, or as Sam says, “generally highlight the great work we do on a daily basis in the pharmacy”. One area in which this has been particularly successful is chlamydia testing, and as Sam explains: “It targets 14-25 year olds, and especially boys, who are not necessarily pharmacy customers."

Another way in which Sam has raised Buxted Pharmacy’s profile is by leading the business’s contribution to the local Christmas festival. She secured donations from a local toyshop to use as prizes for a “decorate a tablet carton” competition for children. The decorated boxes were also used to adorn the pharmacy’s Christmas tree, and she says: “It was incredibly well received by the community.”

Awards judge and Avicenna chief executive Salim Jetha comments: “With limited funds, she used her own initiative and passion.” Leanne Beverley, winner of the 2014 Spotlight Award and 2017 Awards judge, adds: “Sam offers lots of services and has really got pharmacy to the heart of the community – exactly what a community pharmacy should be. We aren’t about just dispensing tablets and offering services.” These were chief among the reasons for Sam’s Highly Commended in the Healthy Living Advisor category, sponsored by The Pharmacy Show, and overall win in the National Pharmacy Association-sponsored Pharmacy Champion Award.

Sam says: “Genuinely, I love to make a difference to patients. I love it that patients come in who may be confused, upset and worried, and I know I can help them. I love the fact that I know most of them by name, and they feel confident to come and speak with me. We care and so we strive to get the right answers, not just to satisfy but also to delight."

 

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Recognition of Excellence 2017

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