The 14 trophies were handed out by award-winning actor and comedian Hugh Dennis (pictured below) at the ceremony last night (November 18) at the Intercontinental O2 Hotel in London, attended by close to 600 guests.
Going above and beyond
The popular Above and Beyond Award, returning for its fifth year, was split for this year’s ceremony into individual and team categories. It celebrated stories of pharmacists and pharmacy teams who went the extra mile for their patients and the sector, attracting nearly 7,000 votes across the 12 entrants.
But it was Mohamed Rafiq from Mortimer Pharmacy who walked away with the coveted Above and Beyond Individual trophy last night. His instinctive response to help a 16-year old girl who was suffering an anaphylactic reaction before paramedics could reach her literally saved her life. Mohamed was unable to attend in person so the award was picked up on his behalf (pictured above).
Meanwhile, RJRChem (pictured below) walked away with the sought-after Above and Beyond Team Award for its nationally recognised COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Celebrating diversity and inclusion
HEE (pictured below) won the first-ever C+D Diversity and Inclusion Award for its national recruitment scheme. One judge said HEE was "creating a fairer profession for the future for all".
Boots UK was awarded Health Initiative of the Year for using its presence on the high street and existing partnerships with Macmillan and the NHS to make palliative care and end-of-life medicines readily available.
In the Online Initiative of the Year category, Pharmacy Mentor was triumphant. Judges described the initiative "as practical, useful and supportive".
Remedi Health was recognised in the Business Innovation category for its business model that turned the traditional community pharmacy approach on its head – providing services first, and medicines as part of the solution.
In its biannual return, the Pharmacy Design of the Year Award was won by Avicenna Retail, Mellors and Wallsend Pharmacies. This new design saw an 11% increase in prescription volume and three-fold increase in demand for services, leading one judge to say they would be "proud to own a pharmacy like this".
Tees LPC scores Training and Development Award
Tees Local Pharmaceutical Committee scored the Training and Development Award for the impact its training had on pharmacy teams, patients and the obvious benefits for the local NHS.
PharmaCare Pharmacy, PharmaCare Solutions snagged the Independent Pharmacy of the Year gong, with judges recognising the team's focus on training had produced an impressive and diverse team to manage the ever-growing workload.
Meanwhile, Rowlands Castle Pharmacy was crowned Pharmacy Team of the Year for "providing an exceptional pharmacy service" and "offering free medicines deliveries, at-home health checks and host outreach events to make sure every member of the local community has easy access to healthcare".
Girish Desai was awarded Community Pharmacist of the Year. Judges said that he "demonstrates the true value of a community pharmacist, and his service is to be celebrated and recognised".
And Khurshid Hussain from the West Midlands Ambulance Service was crowned Manager of the Year, with C+D Awards judges praising him for creating a "lasting impression on his team and the wider healthcare system."
Judges went on to describe Day Lewis Pharmacy’s Lynette Boshoff – who received the Pharmacy Staff Member of the Year Award – as an "obviously dedicated, hard worker".
C+D editor Beth Kennedy said: “I was truly blown away by the quality of entries this year, and it was a great pleasure to celebrate true excellence in community pharmacy at last night's ceremony.
“Congratulations to all of our winners, and to everyone who made it onto the shortlist. The C+D Awards is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the fantastic work that goes on in community pharmacies up and down the country, and we're already looking forward to welcoming you to next year's ceremony, which promises to be even bigger and better."
