Leading lights from the community pharmacy sector were celebrated for the crucial role they play in public health at the 25th annual Pharmacy Business Awards in London on Friday (3).
Woking-based May & Thomson Pharmacy took home the coveted Pharmacy Business of the Year Award with owner and second-generation pharmacist Sunil Chandarana being recognised for building a business that has achieved significant growth by embracing technology and clinical services.
There were 25 awards in total that recognised the best of every facet of community pharmacy, from pharmacy teams and their innovative work to leading products, wholesalers and manufacturers, with around 700 guests in attendance.
The showpiece awards event of the pharmacy calendar was attended by business leaders from the pharma industry, healthcare executives, and leading politicians who were among the 650 guests at the event held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in central London.
Stephen Kinnock at Pharmacy Business Awards show. www.pharmacy.biz
Chief guest, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock, told attendees that he foresaw a future where community pharmacy will be “cornerstone of neighbourhood healthcare”.
“The work of pharmacy teams right across the country has a key role to play in delivering our future vision for health services,” said Kinnock.
“I want to see community pharmacy playing a key role in the Neighbourhood Health Service, working collaboratively with other primary care providers at to deliver the services patients need in their localities.
“It is clear community pharmacies play a critical role in providing healthcare in every community, including in the most deprived. Indeed 40 percent of our pharmacies are in the 30 per cent most deprived areas. This shows the reach into communities offered through pharmacies is second to none.
“In short, you and your teams are key to our ambition to deliver more care in the community using trusted providers.”
Hosted by the Asian Media Group (AMG), publishers of Pharmacy Business, and Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat news weeklies, the Pharmacy Business Awards have for 25 years championed the innovative work and dedication of community pharmacists.
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor, Pharmacy Business addressing the gathering. www.pharmacy.biz
Shailesh Solanki, the executive editor of Pharmacy Business, explained that in a fractured society, community pharmacy was an example of the strength of diversity.
“For generations, community pharmacists have used their skill, professionalism and compassion in the service of their neighbourhoods and communities,” he said.
“At the heart of that compassion is a profession that is proud of its diversity, and where pharmacists of all colours, creeds and faith, work in harmony for the betterment of the nation’s health.”
Whilst he welcomed the government’s plans for community pharmacy to transition from dispensing medicines to delivering more clinical services - outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan - he stressed that the futures of too many pharmacies still remained in the balance due to a shortage in funding.
He urged the government to recognise pharmacists as “highly skilled clinicians” whose expertise remains “undervalued and underutilised”.
“Whilst the plan has been welcomed as a springboard for the development of community pharmacy, questions remain on the detail of how and when this level of transformation will be delivered,” he said.
“The government’s own economic review into pharmacy shows the sector is underfunded by around £2 billion per year.
“For the transformation to become a reality, this funding deficit must be addressed quickly, and more clarity needs to be provided on how it will be achieved, so the right investments in people, premises and technology can be made.”
The nominees and award winners on the evening showed exactly the skills and expertise community pharmacies can bring to primary care.
Stephen Kinnock with Shailesh Solanki and Kalpesh Solanki www.pharmacy.biz
Samson Akere, owner of Totty Pharmacy in Greenwich collected the Pharmacy Business Community Award.
Akere has a partnership with 20 PureGym’s around London where he delivers structured campaigns during Men’s Health Week, International Women’s Day, and Black History Month. He also mentors the next generation by hosting students from secondary schools, colleges, and universities.
The Patient Care in Pharmacy Award went to Olive Yamdjeu from Fairoak Pharmacy in Streatham for her efforts in patiently and skilfully rebuilding an imperfect relationship with the local GP surgery that eventually led to a complete renewal of cooperation and trust, to the immense benefit of patients.
Babatunde Akomolafe of Christchurch Pharmacy in Braintree was recognised for his mantra PIES: Productivity, Innovation, Efficiency and Security, as he took home the Pharmacy Technology Award.
The Pharmacy Team of the Year went to Cadbury Heath Pharmacy in Bristol who were lauded for being passionate about patient care and their diverse skill mix which has set the pharmacy apart in the local community.
The team has fully embraced the NHS’s enhanced and advanced services and delivers them along with private services in an efficient and sustainable manner.
Amerjit Singh, owner of Skills4Pharmacy, took home the Pharmacy Business Development Award for his work with over 200 community pharmacies and small chains across the country every year, allowing them to recruit new staff and having a profound beneficial impact on patients.
The Pharmacy Assistant of the Year Award went to Ayman El Melali from Mitcham Pharmacy. El Melali was recognised for his patience and calmness, inspiring confidence in colleagues and patients alike, while his attention to detail prevents errors, reduces hospital admissions, and spreads peace of mind.
A section of audience at the Pharmacy Business Awards function.www.pharmacy.biz
Rahaf Kanj of Asda Pharmacy, Park Royal, was awarded the Pharmacy Business Public Health Pharmacist of the year for her work in supporting the health needs of a diverse community.
Judges said Kanj had become one of the most effective public health champions in the Asda estate with an approach anchored in empathy, driven by data, and powered by determination to eliminate health inequalities.
The Pharmacy Business Inspiring Woman of the Year Award went to Sukhi Basra of Clinichem Pharmacy in Pimlico. Basra is a trailblazing pharmacist who founded the pioneering health hub - The London PharmaClinic. Beyond her clinical achievements, she also inspires the next generation - mentoring women, breaking cultural silences, and proving that leadership grounded in empathy can change lives and shape the future of pharmacy.
The Ram Solanki Editor’s Award, named in honour of the founder and legendary editor-in-chief of Asian Media Group and Pharmacy Business, Ramniklal Solanki CBE, was collected by Peter Cattee, CEO, Peak Pharmacy, for his 40 years of service and advocacy for the community pharmacy sector.
Full list of winners:
Wholesaler of the Year in association with Ascot Pharma: Cencora Alliance Healthcare
Community Award in association with Sigma Pharmaceuticals: Samson Akere, Totty Pharmacy, Greenwich, London
Patient Care in Pharmacy Award in association with AAH Pharmaceuticals: Olive Yamdjeu, Fairoak Pharmacy, Streatham, London
Pharmacy Technology Award in association with Bestway MedHub: Babatunde Akomolafe, Christchurch Pharmacy, Braintree, Essex
Sustainable Pharmacy of the Year in association with Teva UK: Jasvinder Kaur Lali, Cornerstone Pharmacy, Cambridgeshire
Pharmacy Team of the Year Award in association with Bristol Laboratories: Simon Harris, Cadbury Heath Pharmacy & Health Clinic, Bristol
Aspiring Pharmacy Leader of the Year in association with Aspire Pharma: Anish Patel, Director & Superintendent Pharmacist, Benjamin Chemist, London
Pharmacy Business Development Award in association with Cipla: Amerjit Singh, Owner, Skills4Pharmacy, Preston
Pharmacy Assistant of the Year in association with Strides Healthcare: Ayman El Melali, Mitcham Pharmacy, Mitcham, Surrey
Travel Health Clinic of the Year in association with Takeda: Bruntsfield Pharmacy & Travel and Health Clinic, Bruntsfield, Edinburgh
Independent Prescriber of the Year in association with Brown & Burk: Sehar Shahid, Director, Independent Prescriber, 24HR Pharmacy
Public Health Pharmacist of the Year in association with Glenmark Pharmaceuticals: Rahaf Kanj, Practice Manager, Asda Pharmacy Park Royal
Pharmacy Group of the Year in association with Wockhardt: Pearl Chemist Group, Tooting, London
Pharmacy Clinical Excellence Award in association with Numark: Daniella Fakhouri, LIPS Pharmacy, Battersea, London
Community Pharmacy Heroes in association with Haleon: Northwood Dispensing Chemists Ltd T/A The Whitehouse Pharmacy, Staffordshire
Enterprise Award in association with Alliance Healthcare: Muhammad Shuaib Bidulph Pharmacy, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent
Trainee Pharmacist of the Year association with Sandoz: Jasmeet Hothi, Trainee Pharmacist, Day Lewis, North Kilburn
Hospital Pharmacy of the Year: TrustMed Pharmacy (a subsidiary of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust)
Inspiring Woman of the Year in association with Crescent Pharma: Sukhi Basra, Independent Prescriber, Clinichem Pharmacy, Pimlico, London
Pharmacy Business of the Year: Sunil Chandarana, May & Thomson Pharmacy, Woking, Surrey
Pharmacy Business Product & Manufacturer Awards 2025: OTC Brand Impact of the Year in association with IQVIA: Nicorette, Kenvue
Pharmacy Business Innovation in Generics Award: Varenicline, Brown & Burk
Pharmacy Business Branded Manufacturer of the Year: Haleon
Pharmacy Business Generic Manufacturer of the Year: Teva
Pharmacy Business Ram Solanki Editor’s Award: Peter Cattee, CEO, Peak Pharmacy
