‘I Love My Pharmacist’ 2015 champion revealed

Emily Rose, a hospital pharmacist from Bristol, has been announced the national winner of ‘I Love My Pharmacist’ 2015.

After months of judging and public voting, Rose was chosen by the judges on the grounds of her outstanding contribution to rheumatoid arthritis care. During her five years at Southmead Hospital, she has designed a new pathway of prescribing and administering arthritis medication to improve patient safety and ensure her patients are getting the best possible service.

As well as having a positive impact on the lives of her patients, Rose’s extra time and dedication to pharmacy in order to set up the pathway has also resulted in £200,000 worth of NHS savings each year.

When awarded the accolade, Rose said she was “thrilled”. “The entire competition has had such a positive impact on the workplace. Being the winner is a real honour; we go the extra mile on a daily basis for patients and it is nice to have some recognition for all our hard work.”

Health minister Alistair Burt congratulated Rose for her huge contribution to the field: “Pharmacists are a major resource for our health service and they do a fantastic job, helping people to manage their health and stay well.”

Ash Soni, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, reflected on the success of the competition in recognising the different roles pharmacists play across the NHS: “The vast number of entries and votes demonstrates how valued pharmacists are within the community. We are looking forward to next year’s competition being even bigger and better.”