Flying the flag for women pharmacists

More women in pharmacy leadership could drive positive change – says Rachna Chhatralia

Rachna Chhatralia, the superintendent pharmacist at Day Lewis and winner of the 2024 Pharmacy Business Aspiring Pharmacy Leader of the Year award, points out that, despite the pharmacy workforce being predominantly female at grass roots, leadership positions in the sector are still largely dominated by males—a reality she believes “stands to benefit greatly from change.”

For Rachna, more women in leadership can drive meaningful advancements across the profession, bringing new perspectives and empathetic understanding that would benefit both teams and patient care. She urges women to embrace their potential, overcome doubts, and step into leadership roles, even if it means pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.

However, Rachna acknowledges the distinct challenges that women face when progressing their careers, especially when balancing roles after career breaks for childcare. Having faced these obstacles herself, Rachna advises, “Women should not feel following motherhood, they cannot strive to achieve career aspirations. It may take a little longer, but it is absolutely possible.” Her own career was shaped by resilience, often pushing past her doubts by focusing on the end goal. She recalls, “There were times I thought, ‘I am not sure if I can do this, but I chose to challenge myself and proceed regardless.’

Future of Pharmacy Leadership

Rachna is passionate about achieving gender equality in pharmacy leadership within the next decade. She believes that increasing the representation of women in these roles will have a profoundly positive impact on the profession. Rachna said ‘Promoting more women into pharmacy leadership is not just a matter of equity—it’s a strategic advantage that can elevate the entire profession. By harnessing the strengths that women bring to leadership roles, the pharmacy profession can create a more compassionate, patient-centred, and innovative approach to healthcare.’

Rachna feels this transformation within the sector, has the potential to improve patient outcomes, advance health equity, and inspire the next generation of pharmacists, leading to a stronger, more inclusive, and adaptable profession.

At the core of Rachna's work is her commitment to setting a lifelong example for her children. With a 19-year-old and a 13-year-old, she is determined to demonstrate that learning and growth are continuous endeavours. "It's essential for them to see that I am still achieving new milestones’ she explains. "The pursuit of knowledge should never stop. I firmly believe there is no point at which growth should stop. Even at this stage of my career, each day is an opportunity to learn something new."

Left to Right: Shailesh Solanki, Stephen Kinnock MP, Rachna Chhatralia, Daniel Hughes, Business Unit Director, Kalpesh Solanki and Rory Bremner

Leading by Example

Winning the Aspiring Pharmacy of the Year award was a pleasant surprise for Rachna, who describes it as a privilege to be recognised for her years of dedication to the profession. Rachna recalls "I did not expect to win, so when I heard my name, I was genuinely shocked,"

Rachna graduated from the UCL School of Pharmacy in 1997 and has dedicated over 24 years to community pharmacy, working in a variety of roles within the field. Although pharmacy was not her initial career choice, she developed a deep passion for it during her first year at UCL. Coming from a family with multiple pharmacists—cousins, an uncle, and several aunts—she was well acquainted with the profession. "Pharmacy runs in the family, and that was certainly a key factor in encouraging me to pursue by education pathway," she explains.

From the outset, Rachna knew that community pharmacy was the area she wanted to follow. "I always envisioned myself in community practice rather than in industry or hospital settings," she explains. "For me, direct continual patient contact was essential."

After completing her training year at a small, family-owned pharmacy, Rachna spent a few years working as a locum which she says greatly boosted her confidence and helped her develop as a pharmacist by working with different pharmacy teams and interacting with different patients. She then worked for a small family-owned business and was employed as a Pharmacist Manager until the business was acquired by Day Lewis in 2002. At Day Lewis, Rachna’s career flourished as she took on a variety of roles from Pharmacist, Pharmacy Manager, Regional Pharmacy Manager and Professional Services Pharmacist before being appointed Superintendent Pharmacist in 2022.

In her current role, Rachna oversees 250 pharmacies, ensuring they meet the standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). She is responsible for clinical governance, patient safety, and ensuring patients receive the best possible care. "My role is to ensure that everything we do aligns with legislation and best practices, with patient safety always being our top priority," she explains.

While Rachna enjoys the broader responsibilities of her superintendent role, she admits to missing the personal connection with patients. "I definitely miss interacting with patients. Whenever I am carrying out pharmacy visits, I cannot resist offering to support the pharmacist in any way possible, such as providing flu vaccinations " she shares with a smile.

To stay connected to the day-to-day work of pharmacists, Rachna continues her professional development, participating in training such as flu vaccination courses and training for national services like hypertension case finding. She believes this ongoing learning allows her to remain grounded and in tune with the challenges faced by pharmacists on the front line. "Staying engaged with the practical aspects of pharmacy is important to me, as it helps me better understand the highs and lows pharmacists and their teams face on a daily basis" she says.

A Heartfelt Letter to Her Pharmacy Team

Rachna believes that, as a leader, being there for your team, understanding their challenges, and supporting them is crucial.

She stresses the importance of empathy, especially as pharmacy teams deal with significant stress caused by funding issues, drug shortages, and patient frustrations.

Rachna recently wrote a heartfelt letter to the 300 pharmacists in the Day Lewis group, expressing her understanding of the pressures they encounter and offering her unwavering support. In her message, she reassured them, “My door is always open. You are more than welcome to call, visit, or reach out to me, and I am here to support you in any way I can.”

"Sometimes, people simply need someone to listen," she reflects, highlighting her commitment to being a trusted resource and a compassionate ear for her teams.

The Biggest Challenge Facing the Sector

“Funding is a real issue at the moment,” says Rachna, referring recent closures at major chains like Lloyds and Boots as evidence of the on-going crisis.

She warns: "We are at tipping point, without sufficient funding, we will continue to see even more closures.

‘It is deeply concerning because there is so much as a sector we can do. We are committed to supporting our communities, but we need sufficient government investment in order to do so."

Looking ahead, Rachna remains hopeful for a new positive pharmacy contract expected by the end of November. Reports suggest that GPs may receive a separate contract to shield them from rising insurance costs. While Rachna is uncertain about this potential arrangement, she insists that community pharmacists should not be excluded from a similar protection.

"The government should recognise the value of community pharmacists as much as they do with GPs. We are healthcare professionals, ready and willing to help people in our communities stay healthy and feel better, but we need the funding to support our efforts," she concludes.

Pharmacy First service ‘underutilised’

While Rachna acknowledges the significant potential of the Pharmacy First service, she believes it is currently underutilised due to insufficient awareness and engagement from both GPs and patients.

"It is an invaluable service; however, a key challenge we face is the difficulty in obtaining referrals from some GPs," she notes. "This may not stem only from reluctance on their part, but also from a lack of emphasis by the NHS on highlighting the integral role that community pharmacies play in providing advice and treatments for acute conditions”.

Rachna suggests that the NHS should take a more proactive approach in promoting the service and encouraging GPs to direct appropriate patient referrals to community pharmacies, thus releasing capacity for more complex cases.

Additionally, she advocates for the expansion of the service to include a broader range of conditions. By doing so, she believes community pharmacists could take on an even greater role in the management of minor ailments, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the service and contributing to improved access to healthcare.

Improving Patient Safety

Since taking on the role of superintendent, Rachna has been focused on positioning Day Lewis as a leader in patient safety.

One of the key initiatives she introduced in July 2023 is their “Quality Criteria Agenda ‘which has significantly strengthened patient safety at Day Lewis.

She explains the initiative: “Each month, pharmacy teams receive a list of actions they must complete, such as weekly safety checks, responding to national alerts, learning from patient safety issues ensuring we provide patient care to the highest level. Each pharmacy has a Quality Champion to support them with this initiative.”

Rachna notes that this agenda has already contributed to a reduction in certain patient safety incidents. Furthermore, she is confident that the ongoing automation project at Day Lewis will lead to even greater improvements in patient safety moving forward.

Rachna’s Mantra for Staying Mentally Fit

Rachna stresses the importance of self-care, personal space, and time for maintaining mental health and well-being.

“Always take time out for yourself. Make sure you eat well and exercise regularly and if you are struggling, with either your home or work life, do not hesitate to speak to someone’ she advises.

Rachna’s Inspiring Message for Pharmacists

‘Believe in yourself. There will inevitably be times when things do not go as expected, and that is entirely understandable. The key is to pick yourself up, learn from the experience, and approach it again with determination. Self-belief and confidence are essential—once you develop these two things, then you will be capable of achieving any goal you set yourself."