The judges described Joanne Sandland as a wonderful lady with customer service skills that are second to none, as well as a real inspiration and "what community pharmacy is all about"

Joanne Sandland worked in childcare before deciding to change tack and go into pharmacy three years ago, taking a position as a trainee pharmacy assistant at Well Pharmacy in Norton Canes, Staffordshire. It was clearly the right move, as the fact that she won this year’s Customer Care Award – sponsored by TENA – is testament to.

Joanne prides herself on her ability to build professional but friendly relationships with her customers, and loves talking to them to learn more about their lives so that she can advise on medication and lifestyle changes. She often goes above and beyond the call of duty, such as the time when she didn’t just get medical assistance for a woman suffering repeated nosebleeds who suddenly felt unwell in the pharmacy – she also accompanied her to hospital, stayed with her while she underwent various tests, and called on her at home afterwards. Given that Joanne has a young family to look after and was pregnant at the time, this was no small disruption to her life, but it was something she did willingly and would do again if the situation called for it.

Joanne says that her moral compass wouldn’t have allowed her to do anything else. “I live up to my personal values, which are always to be kind, courteous and helpful towards everyone,” she explains. “I hope my family or friends, if they were ever in a similar situation, would be treated with such care, and I knew my family at home would understand why I did what I did.”

Pharmacist Mital Thakrar nominated Joanne for the award, saying that she “goes above and beyond to take care of her community”. This has a profound effect on the running of the business, added Mital: “Situations like these develop our relationships further with our surgeries and the local doctors have developed a high level of trust in our pharmacy team to complete tasks effectively and support the wellbeing of patients.”

The Awards ceremony came just weeks after Joanne gave birth to her second child, but she thoroughly enjoyed the event, saying: “It was a great afternoon and I met some really nice people.”

Joanne intends to return to Well after her maternity leave, juggling looking after her baby and older daughter with her work on the pharmacy counter and in the dispensary. She would also like to train to become a pharmacy technician and possibly move into the hospital sector at some point.

Awards judge and 2014 Spotlight Award winner Leanne Beverley heralded Joanne as “a great example of the type of person who should be in all pharmacies”. 2017 Spotlight Award winner Harry Mahmood agreed, saying: “Joanne embodies all that is human in our communities – she is very selfless”. Fellow judge and pharmacist Sarah Coffin added: “What a wonderful lady, taking time out of her own life to help others in need – a real inspiration and what community pharmacy is all about.”