The Pharmaceutical Journal
Eleven female pharmacy professionals have been recognised for their pioneering work and dedication to improving patient care in The Pharmaceutical Journal’s 2023 ‘Women to Watch’ list.
The shortlist is the final result of a nationwide search to find women in the pharmacy profession who are breaking boundaries and improving patient care.
Finalists range from a pharmacy student “working tirelessly” to promote equality, diversity and inclusion within the profession, a GP pharmacist with 300,000 TikTok followers battling inaccurate health information online, and a pharmacy technician championing medicines safety within social enterprise.
The ‘Women to Watch’ initiative was launched in 2020, with the aim of showcasing the incredible work that women are doing in pharmacy and to identify future female role models within the pharmacy profession who can inspire others. It is designed to provide a platform to help tackle the historical deficit of women in senior positions in pharmacy.
Women to Watch 2023: read the full list
An external advisory panel of eight pharmacy experts, chaired by The Pharmaceutical Journal, judged all nomination entries based on criteria such as drive, potential, influence, impact and diversity.
Diane Ashiru-Oredope, one of the advisory panel members and lead pharmacist for healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “I was delighted to be part of the panel again this year.
“Each year, it truly is an honour to be part of the team who get to read and learn about the breadth of work the nominated pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and students are undertaking to make significant contributions to the wellbeing of patients and to advance the role of pharmacy across the health system and society.”
Panel member Amandeep Doll, head of professional belonging at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “It has been a great pleasure to be on the judging panel for the Women to Watch 2023. As always, I am in awe and inspired by reading all the amazing nominations that have been submitted. The finalists are making incredible contributions to the profession and getting the recognition they deserve. I’m looking forward to seeing them continue on their trailblazing journey.”
Alison Tennant, advisory panellist and chief pharmacist at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is the fourth year of Women to Watch and it is going from strength to strength. In such challenging times it is wonderful to see so many women who are making an impact in patient care, in professional development and in supporting their colleagues.
“Every year I am inspired by the work that is being done across our profession to change things for the better. The nominees are an incredible set of individuals who deserve to be celebrated for their achievements.”
Carolyn Wickware, executive editor at The Pharmaceutical Journal, said: “With nearly 50 compelling and inspirational nominations to consider, choosing this year’s shortlist was a tough ask.
“The final Women to Watch list for 2023 showcases the tenacious hard work that female pharmacy professionals bring to their jobs each day.”
This initiative is part of the #PJMindTheGap campaign, which aims to highlight social inequalities that exist in pharmacy, and is part of a wider programme of work by the RPS on inclusion and diversity.
Women to Watch 2023 advisory panel members
- Diane Ashiru-Oredope, lead pharmacist for healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, UK Health Security Agency;
- Amandeep Doll, head of professional belonging, Royal Pharmaceutical Society;
- Elsy Gomez-Campos, founder of the UK Black Pharmacist Association;
- Mohammed Hussain, UK healthcare transformation lead, Viatris;
- Angela Kam, strategy and health equity manager, Barts Health NHS Trust;
- Nicola Stockmann, vice-president, Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK;
- Alison Tennant, chief pharmacist, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust;
- Cathrine McKenzie, consultant pharmacist in critical care, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Women to Watch 2023: read the full list
To find out more about how the list was formed: click here
- This article was updated on 2 December 2023 after a finalist requested to withdraw from the list
