Best Newcomer HCs

Isla McCully, East Boldon Village Pharmacy, Tyne and Wear

“Isla has focussed on ensuring she is competent in all aspects of the dispensing process as well as delivering pharmacy services,” said RoE judge and chair of the RPS Community Pharmacy Expert Advisory Group, Janice Perkins. “She goes above and beyond to support patients on her way home to ensure their medication isn’t delayed due to their home delivery service driver only working mornings. She is very customer focussed and is committed to further training and development so she can progress within the team. She also shares her love of learning with her team colleagues, supporting them with their own training and development.”

Having only started at the pharmacy a mere 18 months ago, Isla has already made quite a splash in her team, leading her to be named highly commended in the Best Newcomer category. Although she started with no prior experience, her nominator and pharmacy superintendent, Leena Kohli, said she has “rapidly learned all aspects of dispensing and the sale of OTC medicines” and is “an excellent team worker, communicates well and demonstrates excellent customer service”.

On one occasion Isla even made a crucial referral to A&E when a customer came in complaining of a headache and high blood pressure and has also provided first aid to another customer that had fallen outside of the pharmacy.

Isla throws herself into the pharmacy’s dispensing every single day and is currently undertaking her counter assistant course. She then has big hopes to go on to become a pharmacy technician.

Ella Walker, Cadbury Heath Pharmacy & Health Clinic, Bristol

Trained in the pharmacy’s otoscopy and micro suctioning services, apprentice dispenser Ella Walker has already made crucial referrals to the pharmacist – spotting ear infections and red flags. She is “clearly a person who is keen to learn and develop,” said Mimi Lau, RoE judge and CEO of Pickford’s Pharmacy. “Loved the fact that she is someone who appears very unassuming and humble and does things ‘quietly and without fuss’ – no arrogance!” Ella has proved time and time again that she is keen to learn, taking on a number of new skills to support the pharmacy’s services and ensuring the team have a plethora of services and knowledge to offer to the community, getting patients access to help sooner. This is true for the Pharmacy First service too, to which Ella ensures she is up to date on. “She’s supported her team with the delivery of Pharmacy First seeing the valuable link between this and the existing private services in the pharmacy,” added Janice Perkins, RoE judge and chair of the RPS Community Pharmacy Expert Advisory Group. All from someone who has only worked in pharmacy just over a year.

Something else that stuck out to the judges are the many ways Ella has gone out of her way to ensure the community know the pharmacy are there to help – securing her highly commended in the Best Newcomer category. Ella has forged close relationships with the local food bank and library, frequently partaking in leaflet drops that include information about the pharmacy’s services. This helps to raise awareness about all the pharmacy team can do to support the community’s health and wellbeing.