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Nominated for the Team Leader Award at the Recognition of Excellence (RoE) Awards 2025, Charlotte Coomber’s entry was stellar. Her nominator praised her leadership skills, her exceptional work ethic and her determination, which turned a struggling store into “a well-oiled ship”.
When speaking with Charlotte, it was clear to see her passion for both the personal and business side of working in the pharmacy shine through. She spoke passionately about the importance of nurturing learning opportunities amongst the team, encouraging setting goals as a store and making a difference to customers’ lives, daily, through product advising.
In at the deep end
Charlotte first became store manager as a maternity cover. She had previously earned her Level 2 Pharmacy Advisor and then pharmacy technician qualification. “I had to deal with store theft by an employee,” Charlotte says of her first experience as a store manager. “It taught me a lot, because now I know how to deal with those difficult problems as a leader.”
She then decided to work in a different store in Cornwall for a bit. “That made me a better and more accurate dispenser, because they used green scripts.” Charlotte then became manager of the Boots store in Barnstaple, Devon, and her experience over the years has allowed her to do a bit of everything.
“I am not one of those managers who just sits in the store. I do anything that I would expect my team to do,” she says.
“Today, before we opened, I was cleaning shelves, setting up the new rebuild, triaging prescriptions, getting weekly prescriptions done, speaking to the team to know where we are for the rest of the day and the rest of the week… I love that it is different every day. I make sure the pharmacy runs smoothly and patients get the best possible care, and that staff feel confident in that, and in serving them.”
Charlotte’s ability to get what needs doing done is a huge asset, and one that greatly served her team and their pharmacy when she first joined, when the closure of a nearby pharmacy meant their business “doubled overnight”.
“The team found it incredibly overwhelming,” Charlotte recalls.
“I did my best to support them when I came in, mostly dealing with influx of stock, making sure standard operating procedures were robustly followed so things couldn’t go wrong, and adjusting workflows. I did my best to upskill those who needed it, to reassure other team members that they were doing well and that we were going to work through it.”
“Training should be a part of every day, not something we have to tick off”
Friendly competition
For Charlotte, team training is vital for the pharmacy’s continued success and ability to provide their community with the care they need.
“Training should be a part of every day, not just something we have to tick off. I will always share my learning or experience with the team as much as possible.
“We have one-to-ones, which I think is important, because everyone is very different with different skills, and in one-to-ones I can see where they are and how they are going,” she says.
“I can also see where they are struggling or doing well, and they teach me, too, and update my knowledge. If they are struggling with any aspect of the role, me or my colleague will sit with them and break it down.”
As an extra measure of motivation for the team, Charlotte and her colleagues run a Star of the Month award. “This is for someone, not just for a specific action, but it can be for customer services, good feedback, or learning in their own time,” she says.
“It just makes them smile – we’ve got a tiara, and we crown them with it, and they get a prize. We have a laugh and it encourages friendly competition.”
Making a difference
Apart from her hands-on involvement with her team, Charlotte still helps customers find the right solutions for their healthcare needs.
“My favourite bit of the job is over-the-counter product advising,” she says. “I really feel like I have made a difference with the patients. I have built really great relationships with the customers, and I know all about them and their ongoing struggles.”
Natasha Bailey, Charlotte’s colleague at the time who put her forward for an RoE Award, spoke of the significant difference she has made to the store – and its employees and patients.
“Charlotte is always going above and beyond for both the team and our customers. I know that so many of our patients enjoy seeing her in the pharmacy or around the shop and say she is a welcome breath of fresh air, and often ask after her,” says Natasha.
“Charlotte takes the time out of her day to check in on all team members and makes it clear that we can come to her for any problems, whether in work or personal. With her contribution, our team is settled and happy within their roles.”
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In Practice