1 Min In News
Follow this topic
Bookmark
Record learning outcomes
Photography Credit: Nathalie Crouch Photography
Above: Ms Khaulah Rafique; Mr Rafiq Ahmad collecting the award on behalf of Lubna Rafeeque
Lubna Rafeeque, Pearl Chemist, London
Innovation Award Winner
“Reading about Lubna, it is clear that she is one of the unsung heroes of community pharmacy,” commented judge Rachel Graham, 2024 Spotlight Award winner.
“All too often it is those who are customer facing that receive the rewards, but without the critical work and investment of Lubna, our operational dispensing activities wouldn’t happen so smoothly. Lubna has an ability to think outside of the box in order to develop ways of supporting and delivering safe work and training.”
Lubna’s dedication to improving all aspects of the pharmacy, for the benefit of the staff, customers and business, has had a tangible impact on her store.
Enhancing training and communication
One of Lubna’s biggest contributions to her pharmacy is through the improvement of staff training and communication, “ensuring that learning is practical, engaging, and real-time,” she said. Lubna introduced a dedicated WhatsApp group, where teams actively engaged with one another over questions, sharing successes and being a part of a collaborative learning environment. She also introduced weekly interactive training sessions.
These use a combination of storytelling, case studies and role-playing to make sure learning is practical and engaging. “This has led to a 27 per cent increase in blood pressure checks, as staff feel more confident initiating conversations with patients,” Lubna said.
As a final step to enhancing training, Lubna introduced visual guides and process flows to simplify more complicated tasks and, importantly, to ensure consistency in service delivery, which she says has led to a significant improvement in patient safety and operational efficiency.
“What truly sets this initiative apart from traditional training programs is the focus on behaviour change and mindset transformation,” said Lubna.
“Instead of just delivering training, I have cultivated a proactive learning culture, where pharmacy teams are now driving their own success, actively sharing their wins, seeking feedback, and refining their approach rather than waiting for instructions.”
Spearheading initiatives
Lubna has also been instrumental in leading governance and compliance initiatives, making sure that workflows are streamlined and fully aligned with regulatory requirements. “This has led to stronger adherence to MHRA, GPhC, and NHS England standards, reducing risks and improving audit readiness across our pharmacies,” said Lubna.
The impacts of these initiatives are tracked through a patient compliance tablet machine, which has shown that patient satisfaction has increased to 90 per cent. “By optimising technology combined with a passion for dedication for patient care, so much efficiency, capacity and productivity is gained. “Well done, Lubna!” commented judge Ade Williams MBE, lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol.
Lewis Taylor, Wansford Pharmacy, Peterborough
Highly Commended
“Lewis has consistently demonstrated a forward-thinking approach to pharmacy practice,” said nominator and pharmacist Gareth Evans. “Lewis has taken a proactive role in integrating this innovative technology into our daily operations. Lewis spearheaded the introduction of the Cardisio heart screening service at our pharmacy, which uses AI cutting-edge technology to screen heart health in patients, in terms of perfusion, structure and rhythm,” said Gareth.
“He believes this is a vital service for every community pharmacy. By bringing this technology into the pharmacy, Lewis has not only expanded our service offerings but has also empowered patients to take control of their heart health using his past experiences as a personal trainer, leading to better outcomes and the early detection of potential health risks.”
Since the service was established in 2024 to the time he was nominated at the start of 2025, Lewis had already successfully referred two patients to cardiology through their local GP – one of which had previously been told that they had no heart issues after routine testing.
“He has successfully trained our two current foundation year pharmacists on the Cardisio service,” added Gareth. “His ability to communicate complex concepts in a clear and engaging way has been a tremendous asset in enhancing the skills of our entire team.”
Judge and lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy, Bristol, Ade Williams MBE, said: “Lewis is a mastermind at employing and deploying technology to deliver optimisation and excellence. We all need a Lewis in our pharmacy.”
Daniel Duarte, Newby Pharmacy, Scarborough
Highly Commended
Daniel, a previous winner at the RoE’s, was nominated again for his creation of an intranet for the company. The intranet, which is still in testing stages, aims to help everyone in the company have access to their progress, track tasks that need to be completed, and find all necessary information on the pharmacy. “Daniel is always looking for ways to help the patients to know the services they can get in the pharmacy,” said nominator Débora Duarte, a former colleague.
On top of his intranet innovation, Daniel has also recently acquired a label machine for the company which prints stickers containing the details of all of the services available in the pharmacy. “He spent hours designing the best stickers,” said Débora. “We used them for a trial and people are loving them, they have come back to the pharmacy to get the services,” she wrote.
2024 Spotlight Award winner and judge, Rachel Graham, said of Daniel’s contribution to his pharmacy: “Daniel is an example of a face behind the operation. Developing a platform that allows the dispensing team control of their work will be invaluable to the delivering of prescriptions on time.”
She also commented on his introduction of stickers on prescription bags. “Equally, his production of stickers to drive essential services is another example of the ‘stuff’ we take for granted in pharmacy, but [that] play a pivotal role in patient care.”
Judge, Ade Williams MBE, lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol, also commented: “A dedication to simplifying, streamlining and making everything better for everyone is the heart of innovation. Daniel makes the difficult look simple.”
In News