Tribute to Alan Airley

Alan’s colleagues (including many pharmacists) and friends were deeply saddened to hear of his death after a long illness.

Alan’s dedication and passion was to his family and the profession. He graduated from the University of Manch
ester, completing the Pharmaceutical Chemist (PhC) course in 1958 and registering with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)
in 1959.

His desire was to serve the community and p
rovide a pharmaceutical service of the highest order. He acquired two pharmacies, one in Haslingden, a rural pharmacy in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire, and later in Leigh. He spent time in both but was based for most of his career at the Leigh branch.

Alan soon became aware that the community pharmacist had to deliver extra services to ensure high-quality, integrated healthcare to the community. Together with the usual pharmaceutical services at that time, he had the vision to take practice forward by providing domiciliary care and clinical services to nursing and residential homes in the area. These services are well established today, but back in the early 1980s Alan trod new ground in bringing clinical pharmacy into the heart of the community. The respect for him from the community was of the highest order and they had the reassurance that if they had a problem they could go and see Alan and he was always there and able to help them.

I first met Alan in the early 1990s at an RPSGB branch meeting in Bury, where I was presenting my current research on the delivery of practice based on the underpinning pharmaceutical sciences. He was there in support of the new committee, which had come together to revive
a defunct b
ranch. He told me about the services he had set up and encouraged me that this was the future of the profession.

He loved classical music as well as golf and cricket and remained an avid follower during his illness. He alway
s read
The Pharmaceutical Journal

and looked forward to it being delivered in the post.

On behalf of the profession a
nd his colleagues and friends, our sympathy goes to Alan’s loving wife, Lorraine, and their four daughters, together with the rest of his family. He always wanted to keep up to date with all the latest news from the profession, which was provided by his devoted daughter, Rachel, also a pharmacist.

He will be remembered by the profession for the first-class pharmaceutical service he provided and the respect from all who came in contact with him.

Last updated
Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ, 26 September 2015, Vol 295, No 7881;295(7881)::DOI:10.1211/PJ.2015.20069398

You may also be interested in