Tribute: Karen Christina Pitchford

I am so dismayed to hear that Karen, my valued and delightful academic colleague and personal friend, has passed away so suddenly.

In recent years she had accepted the arduous task of replacing Gordon Appelbe as co-author of Dale and Appelbe’s Pharmacy and Medicines Law, and was set to continue to make her mark as a leading authority on pharmacy law. Recently moved from the De Montfort School of Pharmacy to senior teaching fellow at Aston, she was active on the GPhC registration assessment board and a member of the accreditation team for MPharm courses. She was a keen member of the Pharmacy Law and Ethics Association, being in the midst of a law course at De Montfort, and was looking forward to continuing her involvement in enhancing teaching and understanding of pharmacy law and professionalism across the world of pharmacy. Her meticulous and precise approach was an essential quality in tackling thorny abstract questions of law, coupled with a practical grasp of how best to apply the law to pharmacy practice.

An enthusiastic and energetic academic, she was a pleasure and joy to work alongside and she will be sorely missed. My condolences go to Paul, her husband, and other members of her family.