Deborah Aris may have started her career in pharmacy by accident, but after 25 years in the same store, her passion, knowledge and dedication prove she made the right choice

Deborah Aris of Day Lewis Pharmacy in Ledbury, Herefordshire, started her entry for the Counter Intelligence Award with the words: “I got into pharmacy by accident”. But this didn’t deter the judges from awarding her a Highly Commended, with judge Reena Barai saying that “her genuine passion and care came through”.

One example of Deborah’s intuitive handling of medicine counter enquiries really shone through in her entry: a case study involving a woman who asked for a cough remedy. Many would have run through the WWHAM questions and made a recommendation, but Deborah noticed that the lady’s lips were slightly blue in colour and so she phoned the GP to get her seen as soon as possible. This was exactly the thing to do as it turned out that leaking heart valves were responsible for the symptoms.

As judge Deborah Evans stated: “Deborah’s example is exactly what we would want to see from someone applying their knowledge of conditions to make an important intervention, which possibly saved this lady’s life.” Deborah’s actions showed “confidence” and “excellent working relationships”, continued the healthy living pharmacy guru in her comments.

As a dispensing assistant, Deborah spends much of her time assembling prescribed medicines, but she values customer interaction to such a high degree that she makes sure she gets plenty of time on the counter as well. Day Lewis deputy regional manager Magdalena Bogden describes her as “dedicated” and admires her “great attitude”, which is still firmly in place after 25 years at the same pharmacy. Deborah herself says: “I don’t do this job for rewards or praise... Customers are like my extended family and I help them because I care and love what I do.”