Independent law firm Brabners this week (June 4) announced that it has appointed practising pharmacist Thorrun Govind to its regulatory team.

Also a practising solicitor, Govind will now advise Brabners clients – which include independent pharmacies, dental practices and care homes - on “regulatory and professional conduct issues”, it said.

This includes fitness to practise (FtP) investigations, registration and restoration applications and appeals, it added.

Read more: UPDATED: Erutase Oputu replaces Thorrun Govind as RPS England chair

Govind concluded a two-year stint as RPS England board chair in June last year, having been elected in 2021.

She was the youngest person ever to be elected to the board, having served on it since 2018.

Read more: Podcast – Why I became a lawyer while still practising as a pharmacist

Based in Manchester, Govind has almost 10 years’ experience as a registered pharmacist as well as “regularly” representing the “interests of pharmacists” and providing “insight on public health and healthcare law in the media”, Brabners said.

She joins the firm from Hempsons, where she specialised in healthcare advisory, inquests and medical negligence disputes involving NHS Trusts and social care organisations, it added.

 

“Critical year”

 

Govind said that the independent pharmacy sector is facing a “critical year” as it awaits specific details on the next contractual framework from the government.

“Mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity continues apace and individuals continue to defend their right to practise,” she added.

And she said that her decision to join Brabners stems from a desire to work for a firm that is “committed to bringing about positive change”.

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Brabners head of healthcare Richard Hough said that the firm’s focus is on working with “ambitious lawyers with sector-specific experience”, adding that Govind “falls firmly within that category”.

“Her knowledge as a practising pharmacist makes her a passionate advocate for her clients – something I’m in no doubt will be to the benefit of the wide array of professionals that our regulatory and healthcare teams represent,” he added.

Read more: ‘Very positive’ turnout: Fewer than 2,000 votes for RPS leadership

Meanwhile, current RPS president Claire Anderson was last month re-elected as the society revealed a 10% turnout for the English pharmacy board ballot.

And the RPS’s annual report for 2023 revealed a decline in members and membership revenue, marking another successive year of decline.