By Shilpa Shah
Many of you will have seen how passionate I am about Community Pharmacy. This stems from my passion for creating communities.
My parents came over from Kenya in the late 1960’s and after working for a while, they opened a newsagent in Walthamstow in 1977, which they ran until 2020 only retiring because of COVID. I grew up working in the shop, doing paper rounds, learning what good customer service looked like, filling the shelves etc. I have a strong work ethic because of my parents.
My parents were the heart of the community, and they instilled the importance of community into both me and my sister. I saw the power of our local community in Walthamstow whilst growing up. It was diverse and everyone was accepted.
My purpose in life, I believe, is to make people’s lives better. My Community Pharmacy NEL CEO role allows me to support 370+ community pharmacies to be the best that they can be so that they can help people in their local communities. My voluntary roles all allow me to support people to try and help make their lives better.
As a female leader from a working-class ethnic background, I want others to see that hard work pays off and to be inspired by all the different things that I do. Not all rewards are monetary and it’s important that people see that.
I want pharmacists to see someone who looks like them on the advisory council. I was a Board Member and am now an advocate and advisor to the CPhO David Webb’s Inclusive Pharmacy Practice board, which is all about inclusivity when we practice, but also for those who practice.
If you look at healthcare in the UK, most staff are from various ethnic backgrounds, but as you go higher up the leadership ladder and look at boards, etc., there are very few people from ethnic backgrounds. We need boards and advisory councils to be representative of the profession we represent.
This is changing, but I believe it needs to change quicker. We also need to step up and put ourselves forward for these positions. It can be scary, the thought of failing, imposter syndrome, not fitting in etc but the flipside is that this can also be exciting, invigorating and inspiring.
Regardless of whether I get on or not, I will make a commitment to support anybody that wants to put themselves forward for a promotion or a board, a trustee position etc. I’m happy to have a chat, look at your application and help you prepare for your interview. Nobody should feel alone when trying to step up, when doing something that feels against the norm or to put their head above the parapet.
I have had seats at tables where my voice has not been heard, and I believe, in those situations, it’s been because I’m a female. Luckily, I’m not shy or quiet and have learnt that I do not need to be aggressive or loud to have my voice heard.
I have learnt that sometimes it’s better to listen (a skill I have learnt from my volunteering position at Samaritans) or to be silent. There will be an opportunity to get my point across, but when I do it will be succinct and powerful. That hasn’t come to me naturally it’s something I’ve learnt through my lifetime.
I am currently a Board Member of the Professional Leadership Advisory Board as the Independent Community Pharmacy expert. I am also a member of the RPS Community Pharmacy Expert Advisory Group.
Having experience on this board and being respected as an expert gives me the confidence to know that I am the right person to be on the Royal College of Pharmacy National Pharmacy Advisory Council for England. Now is a pivotal moment for the profession and we have one chance to land it right.
I qualified from Kings College London in 1999. Throughout university, I worked in a bookshop and worked in the summer holidays at Boots. This led to a pre-registration placement with Boots from 1999 and I then worked my way up to be a Pharmacist Store Manager of one of their top 300 branches.
In 2014 I started volunteering as a pharmacist at Crisis at Christmas (then went on to become a Team Leader and am now a Deputy Healthcare Manager)
In 2015 I started volunteering at Waltham Forest Samaritans. I started as a listening volunteer, then took on the additional role of being a branch trainer, this was followed by being the Waltham Forest Branch Director from 2019-2022.
I am currently a Director of Branch Operations for London, South and Southeast, 2022-present. The Training role, Branch Director and Director of Branch Operations roles were and are extra to my listening role at the Waltham Forest Branch and are all voluntary.
After working for two large multiples, I started working as a CEO at Kent LPC. I supported 335 pharmacies through the pandemic. It was here that I won an award for Best LPC with Independent Community Pharmacy Magazine in 2021.
I also won an Healthwatch Kent award for Influencing beyond Boarders where we worked with Healthwatch Kent to highlight the impact of COVID on community pharmacy leading to interviews on BBC SE and Sky News.
In 2022 I joined NEL LPC and I can honestly say this is one of the best jobs ever, I have worked closely with stakeholders to ensure that Community Pharmacy has a seat at the table. This has led to innovative services, support for advanced services. We have streamlined local services and ensured that the service is viable by working with LA commissioners to ensure that pharmacies are remunerated appropriately.
We work with local MP’s to share concerns about Community Pharmacy viability (Wes Streeting is an MP I meet with regularly). In 2023 NEL LPC won an award for Best LPC with Independent Community Pharmacy Magazine. This was the same year that I became a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
I am a volunteer ambassador at Pharmacist Support.
Throughout my career, I have mentored and coached numerous people to help them achieve their goals and continue to do so.
I write for various Pharmacy magazines to share my thoughts and to support Community Pharmacy. I also judge various Community Pharmacy Awards.
All the above experiences over the past 26 years have given me a wide breadth of knowledge. This also shows you how committed I am to all that I set out to do. As I said at the beginning of this article my purpose in life, I believe, is to make people’s lives better. Over the years I have worked with so many different people in so many different roles. All this experience will be so valuable to me as an advisory council member.
I like to think that I don’t just talk the talk, I walk the walk. I am personable and approachable, and this is a change we also need to see on boards, in expert groups and advisory councils. Good visibility is important.
We have a whole new generation of people qualifying each year as pharmacists and now as independent prescribers. We are working more closely than ever with other HCP’s. The Royal College of Pharmacy is the biggest change for the pharmacy profession, and I want to ensure that everybody feels part of is and wants to join as they can see the benefits it will bring the profession. I appreciate this is a journey and if I am voted on, I will hopefully with other advisory council members, make it a journey that everyone wants to go on.
The last thing I will leave you with is the ask that you vote. If we have the option to vote for anything in life, we should not waste that opportunity so please do vote. There are many candidates who are worthy and will make a difference along with those already transitioning onto the advisory council. You get 8 votes (you don’t need to use them all) so have a read of our bios and letters and tick the boxes of the people that resonate for you.
How do I vote?
Voting opens at 9am on Monday 23 February, so please look out for the email from elections@mi-voice.com (which will be sent out on the day) inviting you to vote. Mi-Voice are the independent scrutineer running the elections for the RPS and these emails will also contain a voting link. Your membership number, surname and date of birth will be required to confirm your eligibility to vote so please have these to hand.
What if I can’t find my email?
You should receive an email from elections@mi-voice.com on 23 February, so firstly try checking your junk or spam folder. If you still can’t find it, check our elections page after the elections open on 23 February for a link to the voting site.
When can I vote?
Voting opens at 9 am on Monday, 23 February, and will close at 5 pm on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
Who can I vote for?
A list of candidates is available at rpharms.com/elections. The Mi-Voice voting site will feature statements and other information from the candidates outlining why they think you should vote for them. Please look at all the information provided by the candidates before deciding who to vote for. Candidate information is available now on the Pharmaceutical Journal website.
I’m having trouble voting
If you’re unable to cast your vote once voting has opened on 23 February, please email Mi-Voice at support@mi-voice.com or call them on +44 (0) 2380 763 987 (9am-5pm Monday - Friday, excluding bank holidays).
Full details of the 2026 elections, including the full list of candidates, can be found on the RPS website.
(Shilpa Shah is the CEO of Community Pharmacy North East London)
