Darush Attar-Zadeh

What has been your proudest moment so far as a pharmacist?

Proudest moments must be the satisfaction I get when I see a person stop smoking for over 12 months. When they would come into the community pharmacy and say, ‘I’m still not smoking!’

I also get great satisfaction running group sessions with respiratory patients.

Working with some amazing teams over the years has led to some proud moments. I was delighted to be awarded ‘respiratory pharmacist of the year award 2016’ for the work with Barnet CCG. In 2017 Barnet CCG with the help of the RPS LNW achieved an HSJ highly commended award in the category of medicines optimisation. The great teamwork was also recognised by NHS RightCare and PCRS as a best practice award in 2018.

Are you optimistic about the future of pharmacy in the UK?

Absolutely, I feel pharmacists are far more integrated into the multidisciplinary team. In community pharmacy, I believe we are utilising the knowledge and skills we gain from our degrees at a university far more than when I graduated. I do have concerns about the pressures and financial constraints that pharmacists are put under, which will not only have an impact on pharmacists individually but the knock-on effects on the quality of service to patients.

What do you enjoy to do outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my family which includes a lovely black and white cat, and I’m fortunate that I can walk my children to school most days. I love to jog, play football and enjoy playing board games.

What’s next for you?

At an individual and population level, I’d like to help more clinicians develop greater awareness of the unwarranted variation in quality of care, prescribing etc. As clinicians become more conscious of this, then we can aim to upskill our colleagues with simple messaging that can be easily implemented. I’d also like to do more work with the less advantaged groups in society in the UK and abroad. You are five times more likely to die from respiratory disease if you are in an impoverished area compared to a less impoverished area.

I’d also like to use social media a little more to spread key messages.