Taseen Iqbal is always on his toes, always helping people and always setting an example to those community pharmacists reluctant to step from their comfort zone. The Pharmacy Business Young Pharmacist of the Year talks to Neil Trainis...

An industry with much still to prove would do well to embrace the example of one individual. Taseen Iqbal's holistic, open-minded approach to health care epitomises the kind of energetically proactive approach community pharmacy must adopt as the face of the NHS changes irrevocably. There is no room for stagnation or procrastination in Taseen's eyes. “I get the best of both worlds. I get to work part-time with the PCT and also focus on patients' needs at a community level, face-to-face, rather than refer them back to GPs,” last year's Pharmacy Business Young Pharmacist of the Year award winner says without any sign of a stutter. His articulacy is indicative of an ability to drive forward without distraction. Taseen splits his time between Modi Pharmacy in Dudley, where he works as a branch manager four-and-a-half days a week, and the local Primary Care Trust. The dual role gives him a taste of two mini worlds within a profession that largely remains unsure of itself; the mechanical life of medicines dispenser and the humanistic existence of a clinician who derives great satisfaction from face-to-face discussions with patients. “I have an extra input into MURs and I help the GP where I can,” he says. “But I go above and beyond to help with things like smoking cessation. It's about face-to-face contact, getting that rapport with patients. They understand medicines if you explain it better to them.
“They'll be grateful if you explain it to them. They'll be grateful for the difference you can make to their lifestyle, like drinking and smoking. You can actually see the difference in them when they come into the pharmacy. They look and feel better. It's great to see that. The trust they have in my abilities gives me great job satisfaction.”
That human warmth encapsulates Taseen, who could not be more removed from the meerkat pharmacist stereotype, stuck behind the dispensing bench and popping up every now and then to serve customers. Pharmacy needs to operate as a business just like any other but he regards them as patients with health needs rather than customers merely spending money.

Rigorously

“We've got quite a few services and we're trying to hit our 400 MURs. It's not all about being part of the dispensing team,” he remarks pointedly. “We're here to give advice and whatever services we do, we do to the max. We see patients who come into the pharmacy and those who are house-bound. I make that extra effort to help them. I go to their house to help some patients.”
Taseen's people-persona was tested rigorously when he recently counselled a 99-year-old lady during a pilot benzodiazepine reduction clinic scheme. “She had been on a sleeping tablet for 20 years, nitrazepam, which can be very difficult for the patient to come off,” he recounts. “There can be an addiction there but we managed to wean her off it. It took a couple of months but she's one of our success stories. She's happy she's off it.” Reminiscences of his interactions with the elderrly woman give him pleasure. “At 80, 85, she went on the back of a motorcycle for the first time in her life,” he says. “She's a character. For her age, she's in good condition, very sprightly.”
Going the extra mile seems to be in his blood. When he is not slaving away at Modi Pharmacy, one of eight pharmacies in the west midlands owned by the Adam Myers Group, and engaged with PCTs, he immerses himself in youth work.
He is a part of the UK Islamic Mission, an organisation set up to serve the Muslim community, where he offers support to vulnerable youngsters, some of whom come from deprived areas of Dudley. The biggest health issue he has encountered amongst them is a liking for the hookah, a smoking waterpipe which Taseen suggests causes more harm than many of them realise. “There are real risks involved with the sisha (smoking pipes). It's become a new trend with the youth,” he says.
“They don't drink so they think it's okay to smoke the hookah pipe. It's very popular. It's got to the stage where many people share the pipe over coffee and cake. It's a social thing but it's actually quite harmful. There's a perception that it's safe and that there's no tabacco but it is no less toxic than a normal cigarette.” 

Versatility

At his local mosque, Aisha mosque, Taseen has helped start numerous health services with the backing of his local PCT. “It's part of our health awareness scheme. We also started a blood donor scheme in the mosque and hope to start another one in September,” he says. “I got involved because I thought 'where can I make a difference?' Patients don't always get the best help.” His linguistic versatility in the Asian community means he is well-placed to reach people others would not. “I speak Urdu, Punjabi and Mirpuri, so I can communicate with people. They find it easier that I can speak their language. The scheme at the mosque has been received very well. We do health checks, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose checks.”
Taseen extends his reassurance and wisdom to youngsters consumed by career conundrums as well as health issues. “I'm involved in an external mentor programme for local schools, motivating children to do well in life. A couple of schools are involved,” he says. “One student I had got on to his A-Level course. He had the potential but was not putting his potential into practice. I tried to be the catalyst for him. We discussed career options and opened up doors for him. We managed to motivate him.”
An emotional attachment with some of the youngsters he encounters is, at times, hard to resist. “I suppose I do have an emotional bond with them but it's the same everywhere. I've got patients (in the pharmacy), so it's no different there really. It all depends on how you see it,” he says before slipping into a professionalism that clashes sharply with the compassionate side of his nature. “You have to be professional. If you mother or father them too much it can be no good. You have to be professional.”
He suggests his work with young people “can be stressful but fun and enjoyable too because you get to see the fruits of your labour.” Taseen's vivacity propels him from challenge to challenge. He recently jumped £13,000ft from a plane to raise money for the Read Foundation, a charity focused on establishing educational and welfare projects in the developing world. “I'd say I'm pretty active, yeah,” he remarks with characteristic conviction. That confident air suddenly sputters away when he is prompted to talk about his football team. “I like my football. I'm a Newcastle fan. I guess we've had a good season. I mean, we stayed up this year.”
The NHS reforms have similarly given few pharmacists reason to cheer. Taseen replaces some of his momentarily lost bouyancy with poise when asked if he fears for the future of pharmacy. “I'm not nervousm,” he says. “You think there's light at the end of the tunnel and there is a chance for pharmacists to make a stand for themselves and join up with the GPs.
“There's always room for improvement. There's a lot of work involved but hopefully that won't mean cuts to main-line services.” In an instant, that infectious zest returns. “It's an excellent chance for us to show our skills and a chance for locals to meet with GP/pharmacy groups. It's moving at a scary rate. Some GPs do their best for patients, some don't want to step out of their comfort zone. As far as pharmacists are concerned, it's whether you make or break it. It's a really important time.”