The Committee

Executive Chair

Kath Gulson has a wide range of experience working across community pharmacy and local pharmaceutical committees (LPC). She joined CPL as Chief Executive Officer in 2016 and became Executive Chair for the Committee in February 2022, having also taken up the post of Chair for the Local Professional Network for Pharmacy across NHSE&I Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Vice-Chair - Independent

Michael Ball - - Current CPL Board member: 2014 - present - Current CPL Vice Chair: 2022 - present - Current CPL HR Subgroup member: 2020 - present - Former CPL Chair: 2018 - 2022 - Current Choose Health LPC Director: 2016 - present - Superintendent Pharmacist: 2017 - present - Independent Pharmacy contractor and business owner: 2019 - present I am a fiercely passionate advocate for community pharmacy and in showcasing its ever expanding potential to seize opportunities that can address the challenges that our NHS, and citizens accessing its services, currently face. My experience over the last 13 years within independent pharmacy practice, with the last four as a business owner, has equipped me with the skills and network that I believe has allowed my to effectively support and represent my peers as one of their elected members during the last 9 years of my time on the board. Undoubtedly community pharmacy is at a major crossroads, and the next four years are, in my opinion, incredibly critical. As a consequence, the newly formed board needs the right balance in terms of experience, skill mix and energy, and I believe I can contribute on all of these to ensure the right and effective strategic leadership. I am not afraid of making the difficult decisions, and campaigning for what our many brilliant contractors and their teams rightfully deserve in terms of the appropriate opportunities and importantly, the recognition for their contribution. I will ensure we work tirelessly at a local, regional and national level to lobby for the interests of community pharmacy to reach its potential. I will set high expectations to ensure we position ourselves as an equal partner amongst all stakeholders across the complex and ever evolving nature of NHS organisations. We will continue to be the ever present trusted partner, whilst we persist with our messaging that this MUST be valued considerably more than it currently is. Whilst we continue to pressurise for significant uplifts financially across both nationally and locally commissioned services, it is also somewhat necessary that we carefully demonstrate our potential to make significant contribution to clinical service delivery from our ideally located pharmacy practices. With this in mind, it is also a key priority of mine for my own pharmacy team, and to support all my community pharmacy colleagues, that we seek to engage in how best to transition into these new models of working. Reviewing all of our systems and processes to seek out where efficiencies and capacity can be yielded is also a ‘must do’ whilst we also remain at the negotiating table to improve how our value is perceived. I hope I am able to continue to contribute by representing and supporting my peers across Lancashire & South Cumbria, and I am grateful to my own pharmacy team that I can be afforded the time to prioritise working on behalf of the sector, to maximise professional fulfilment alongside improving access to great healthcare for citizens.

Committee Member - Independent

Asif Adam is the Superintendent Pharmacist for Whittle Pharmacies Ltd. He has worked in community pharmacy for over 20 years in various roles and has previously served on Bolton LPC as Chair and on East Lancashire LPC.

Committee Member - CCA

Graz Amado As a pharmacy technician I've had the chance to experience different sides of the pharmacy world, from community pharmacy to hospital pharmacy and general practice. I understand how different parts of the profession work together. This allows me to bring a holistic perspective to discussions and decision-making. I am adaptable to new initiatives and trends, with a growth mindset that will enable me to contribute to innovative projects. I have experience in service design, SOPs and processes. My diverse pharmacy experiences, adaptability, understanding of pharmacy automation and English contracts make me an excellent fit for the LCP committee. I'm excited to contribute my skills and knowledge to the team's work.

Committee Member - CCA

Roger Balshaw - I am a long serving CCA member of the LPC. I work for Well in the Pharmacy Superintendent’s Team focussing predominantly on professional and regulatory standards and governance. I continue to work regular days in a pharmacy which keeps me very much aware of the current challenges faced in the community sector. I want to see our role extend further to benefit not only our individual patients but the wider NHS too. To do this successfully, appropriate resources are necessary to maintain the required standards, and this is where I see Community Pharmacy Lancashire and South Cumbria working to influence the agenda in our area.

Committee Member - CCA

Georgina Barber has been a pharmacist for over 23 years and chose pharmacy as a career as she wanted to care for patients. Georgina has only ever worked in Community Pharmacy, currently working for Boots. She has had a very fulfilling career involving roles from pharmacy advisor to pharmacist and currently in a senior management role. Georgina strongly believes that we have the knowledge and skills to support patients, customers and also the NHS and in Community Pharmacy and we are perfectly placed to be able to do this.

Committee Member - Independent

Anothai Chareunsy 1994 - 2004: Managing various independent and small multiple pharmacies. 2004 - Present: Director and Superintendent Pharmacist at Staveley Pharmacy 2010 - Present: Committee member of Cumbria LPC and now CP L&SC 2019 - Present: Community Pharmacy Lead for Kendal PCN 2018 - 2020: Post Grad Clinical Diploma 2021 - 2022: Independent Prescribing 2022 - Present: Clinical Pharmacist for James Cochrane Practice

Committee Member - Independent

Ali Dalal has been an independent contractor for 11 years and he is the superintendent of Alamaz Limited, which is a small group of community pharmacies in the North West. Ali has achieved his independent prescriber qualification from the University of Manchester and he is a member of the GMLPC and HSHK LPC. Working in different divisions and interacting with multi-disciplinary teams has given Ali a great insight into the dynamics of community pharmacy, the challenges faced by the independent sector and the work required to make a strong place for the independent sector within the wider NHS. Ali would like to see better remuneration structures for the services we provide and contractors to be at the forefront of all clinical services, this is because Pharmacies are well placed to take some burden off the doctors and work together to ease the pressures faced by the system today. He would like pharmacies to be the pioneers of using technology to make them more efficient and integrate them within the digital NHS spine interface so they can have a better visibility and communication with primary and secondary care systems.

Committee Member - AIM

Tahir Hussain has been a practicing pharmacist for over 25 years starting with Boots, Peels, Lloyds and now Cohens Chemists where he has managed various stores, from high street to Health Centre stores. He has held various posts including Management Support Pharmacist, Regional Development Manager and Head of Region. He currently provides Regional Professional Support to Management and is passionate about how pharmacy can benefit the individual and in particular the value added services that pharmacy can deliver to patients. He has taken part in various pilots to showcase pharmacy services demonstrating it’s contribution and potential to the wider NHS.

Committee Member - AIM

Khalid Khan has spent his entire career in community pharmacy ever since his student days. He is currently the “Head of Training and Professional Standards” at pharmacy chain Imaan Healthcare and Superintendent Pharmacist at Kepple Lane Pharmacy in Garstang. Khalid has a particular interest in pre-registration training and sits as a community pharmacy representative on various regional and national boards related to this area. He has recently been seconded to Health Education England as Training Programme Director for Pre-registration for the North West, he is also a member of the GPhC Fitness to Practice Committee. Khalid is keen to use the knowledge and skills acquired in these various settings to help support members of the LPC.

Committee Member - Independent

Abid Malluk - I am still a practising pharmacist involved with community pharmacy day to day and primary care services. Special interest in medicine administration in a care environment. I also spend some time helping discuss and create healthcare related policies and procedures and creating primary care/ community pharmacies integration models.

Committee Member - CCA

Richard Wood is the past Vice Chair of Community Pharmacy Lancashire, formerly Chair of East Lancashire LPC. Founder Member of Lancashire Pharmacy Network. Richard has served for over 16 years on an LPC, firstly as an employee representative and subsequently as a CCA member whilst employed by Boots and then Asda. Previous to the merger, East Lancashire LPC, achieved the status of a pilot site for Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) something he is justly proud of. He has a particular interest in Contract Applications and Relocations and has for several years represented the LPC on the Appeals Panel for Applications.

Committee Member - Independent

Sarah Vaukins - I qualified as a pharmacist in 2013, when I started my career in Boots Pharmacy in the Isle of Man. During this time I develop my skills and ability to offer a diverse number of services, as well as completing my clinical diploma. In 2018 I completed my independent prescribing course working closely with urgent care and substance misuse patients. Throughout this time in the Isle of Man I was an active member of the local community pharmacy association, and helping to create the new pharmacy contract in 2019. My scope of practice then moved into primary care, however I remain as a locum for Boots working a regular Sunday. During this time also I worked as a locum for an independent pharmacy which gave me a great deal of insight into drug costs and the process behind pharmacy. In 2022 I moved to Lancaster to be closer to family taking up the Lead Pharmacist role for Lancaster Medical Practice and the Superintendent Pharmacist at Rosebank Pharmacy.