Outstanding work of 12 female pharmacy professionals celebrated in Women to Watch 2020 list

A pharmacy student campaigner for racial equality, a pharmacist who has set up her own generics manufacturing company and a “colossus in the world of blood-borne viruses” have all been recognised for their work in The Pharmaceutical Journal’s Women to Watch 2020 list, published today.

All 12 women were nominated by their colleagues for their impressive work in improving patient care and pushing forward the boundaries of pharmacy, often despite considerable obstacles placed in their path.

The Women to Watch initiative was launched by The Pharmaceutical Journal in March 2020 to help tackle the deficit of women in senior positions in pharmacy and help raise the profile of the work of female pharmacy professionals. The initiative is part of a wider programme of work by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on inclusion and diversity.

The women could be at any stage in their career, as long as they were not currently, or previously, on the board of a large national organisation or executive committee.

All nominations were considered by an external advisory panel of pharmacy experts, chaired by The Pharmaceutical Journal. Judging was based on criteria such as drive, potential, influence, impact and diversity.

Member of the Women to Watch advisory panel, Dr Nikki Kanani, who is medical director of primary care for NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: “I’m delighted to have had the honour of being a judge for this important initiative and it was a privilege to hear about the work of these 12 women within their respective fields in the UK.

“They are contributing a huge amount to the pharmacy profession and the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve — they are truly women to watch and congratulations to each and every one of them on their amazing achievements.”

Reena Barai, National Pharmacy Association board member and also an advisory panel member, said: “These women have been selected because they quite literally shine. They have pushed themselves out of comfort zones, paved their way in career paths not taken before and, most importantly, have championed inclusion, equality and diversity.

“This initiative has created a network of inspiring role models for us all and I will certainly enjoy watching them rise to even greater heights in the future.”

Angela Kam, careers editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal, said: “We knew before we launched this drive that there were many brilliant, unrecognised women who are accomplishing great things in pharmacy.

“But even our wildest expectations have been exceeded by the quality of nominations we received. We are thrilled to publish this list of women that we hope will inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”

Sandra Gidley, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “Championing leadership is a core part of our inclusion and diversity strategy. Women pharmacists are in the majority but are under-represented at senior level. The fantastic, inspiring female leaders celebrated in ‘Women to Watch’ show the incredible talent that’s out there and make me very optimistic about the future of the profession.”

The Pharmaceutical Journal is planning to launch another nationwide search for Women to Watch in 2021.