By Andrew Lane
The message of Diwali - a festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness – seems to take on new layers of meaning every year.
At the height of the Covid pandemic, it brought to mind the importance of togetherness, as we all struggled through lockdowns and missed the human contact that is so important to us all.
In 2022, sadly, it feels like there’s a lot of darkness in the world. Diwali is so full of hope for the future and we certainly need some of that that right now. In troubled times, both in the UK and across the globe, Diwali provides an opportunity to reflect and hope for better times ahead.
In their own way, pharmacies bring light to the communities they serve – giving help and reassurance to many vulnerable people. As chair of the NPA it is truly a privilege to support pharmacy teams to deliver this vital work all year round. Diwali is a family feast – at the NPA we like to think of ourselves as the family of family-owned pharmacies.
I wish all my colleagues and friends who are marking Diwali – and all Pharmacy Business readers - the very best to you, your families, the people you work with and the patients you serve.
Andrew Lane is chair of National Pharmacy Association.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting addresses Pharmacy Conference via video 
David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer of NHS England
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business
L-R: Yasmin Karsan, Pritee Panchmatia and Fin McCaul 
L-R: Baba Akomolafe, Rachna Chhatralia, Patricia Tigenoah-Ojo and Raj Matharu
L- R: Nicola Stockmann, Robert Townsend, Atul Patel and Amerjit Singh
Wole Ososami, lead pharmacist at Westbury Chemist
