Pharmacist prescriber in Derby wins prestigious award at House of Commons

The annual awards1, which took place on Thursday, October 2 and are run in association with Independent Community Pharmacist magazine, celebrates the outstanding ways independent community pharmacies improve the health of their local communities across the UK.

The awards drew leading figures from the pharmacy sector, MPs and pharmaceutical executives.

The Independent Prescriber of the Year category measured how well community pharmacists use their

prescribing qualification to improve patients’ health and wellbeing.

Kiran’s original prescribing2 speciality was hypertension but she quickly upskilled in anticoagulation therapy and now provides a weekly one-stop international normalised ratio3 (INR) clinic, where patients receive on-the-spot testing, immediate dosing instructions and follow-up scheduling.

For governance, she logs the results into a digital software platform called INRstar and, where needed, prescribes warfarin to the patient.

For patients needing hospital-based venous INR testing, Kiran conducts remote consultations, ensures compliance and issues prescriptions accordingly. She works with GPs, senior anticoagulation nurses and haematologists.

Labour MP: 10-year NHS plan cannot succeed without independent pharmacies

The Independent Pharmacy Awards heard from the Labour MP and former pharmacist Sadik Al-Hassan, who paid tribute to independent pharmacy’s ability to reach people in their local communities.

“Independent pharmacies, in particular, offer something unique – continuity of care, local knowledge and genuine personal relationships,” he said.

“You know your patients by name. You understand the specific health challenges facing your communities. You adapt your services to meet local needs, whether that's offering home deliveries to housebound patients, providing specialist advice on chronic conditions, or simply being a trusted presence on the high street.”

Al-Hassan insisted Labour’s “vision for a truly integrated, neighbourhood-based health service” through its

10‑year NHS plan “simply cannot succeed” without independent pharmacies.

“When we talk about easing pressure on GP surgeries and A&E departments, we're talking about empowering pharmacies to do more of what they already do brilliantly,” he said.

“When we discuss preventative healthcare and early intervention, pharmacists are on the frontline, catching problems before they escalate.

“When we consider health equity and access, independent pharmacies are often the only healthcare provider in rural villages and underserved communities.”

National Pharmacy Association chief calls on Labour to close £2.6 billion pharmacy funding gap

The National Pharmacy Association chief executive Henry Gregg used the awards to call on Labour to close the £2.6 billion funding gap in community pharmacy funding as soon as possible.

“It gives me mixed feelings every time when I see such potential in community pharmacy held back by financial restraints,” he said.

“It is really important that we reform the contract and make clear we need proper investment for dispensing as the platform to then fully fund new services.”

Notes:

1 The Independent Pharmacy Awards at the House of Commons takes place annually and celebrates excellence in the independent pharmacy sector, honouring pharmacists and their teams who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to patient care, community engagement and innovation.

2 From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will automatically become independent prescribers upon registering with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

3 The international normalised ratio is a standardised blood test that measures how long the blood takes to clot.