Thorrun Govind is a British pharmacist, solicitor and broadcaster known for her significant contributions to the healthcare sector. In 2021, she was elected chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England, the professional body for pharmacists. [1] [2] [3] Govind is a member of the Junior Solicitors Network advisory committee which advises the Law Society on how to support junior solicitors.
Govind graduated from King's College London with a master of pharmacy degree. Undertaking professional training in Newark on Trent she registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council. She subsequently studied for a graduate diploma in law and qualifications in law, business and management at the University of Law. She is a qualified solicitor and member of the Law Society in England.
Govind was first elected to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's English Pharmacy Board in 2018, the youngest elected board member. [4] She was subsequently elected to chair the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's English Pharmacy Board in 2021, the youngest elected chair that the organisation has had. [5] Her tenure as chair concluded in 2023.
In 2022, Govind became a Councillor at the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association. [6]
In 2018 she was nominated for the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards - Healthier Communities Award for her advocacy. In the same year Govind was named one of the Top 5 Rising Star's in Healthcare by WeAretheCity, an organisation that works with over 150 corporate organisations to attract, retain and develop female talent. [7]
Govind was the Resident Pharmacist at BBC Radio Lancashire, on presenter John Gilmore's show. [8]
Govind is credited as a leading expert in the healthcare sector and has regularly been asked to provide healthcare comment on the COVID-19 pandemic. [9] She has also continued to highlight the challenges pharmacists and healthcare teams face. [10] She has also spoken on a number of outlets including BBC News about the key role of pharmacists and healthcare teams in tackling vaccine hesitancy in relation to both Coronavirus and Influenza Vaccines. [11]
In 2021 Govind spoke to Sky News about access to the contraception pill from pharmacies. She stated that 'it's absolutely right that women should be able to access contraception easily in a safe environment.' [12] In 2022 Govind has also helped highlight women's health inequalities as an expert for Menopause Mandate. [13] This advocacy has also involved highlighting the difficulties women are having with HRT shortages.
In 2023, a survey by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society reported that one in two pharmacists had seen a rise in people not collecting their prescription. [14] Speaking on BBC Breakfast Govind called for the prescription charge to be scrapped 'on par with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where they do not pay prescription charges'.
In March 2023, Govind appeared on This Morning with Dr Nighat Arif following the MHRA withdrawal of a number of cough medicines containing the ingredient pholcodine in the UK.
Robinson, Anna; Sile, Laura; Govind, Thorrun; Guraya, Harpreet Kaur; O'Brien, Nicola; Harris, Vicki; Pilkington, Guy; Todd, Adam; Husband, Andy (2022-04-05). "'He or she maybe doesn't know there is such a thing as a review': A qualitative investigation exploring barriers and facilitators to accessing medication reviews from the perspective of people from ethnic minority communities". Health Expectations: hex.13482. doi:10.1111/hex.13482. ISSN 1369-6513
Robinson, Anna; O'Brien, Nicola; Sile, Laura; Guraya, Harpreet K.; Govind, Thorrun; Harris, Vicki; Pilkington, Guy; Todd, Adam; Husband, Andy (2022-12). "Recommendations for community pharmacy to improve access to medication advice for people from ethnic minority communities: A qualitative person‐centred codesign study". Health Expectations. 25 (6): 3040–3052. [15]
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in order to dispense them safely to the public and to provide consultancy services. A pharmacist also often serves as a primary care provider in the community and offers services, such as health screenings and immunizations.
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links health sciences with pharmaceutical sciences and natural sciences. The professional practice is becoming more clinically oriented as most of the drugs are now manufactured by pharmaceutical industries. Based on the setting, pharmacy practice is either classified as community or institutional pharmacy. Providing direct patient care in the community of institutional pharmacies is considered clinical pharmacy.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) existed from its founding as the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 1841 until 2010. The word "Royal" was added to its name in 1988. It was the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales. In September 2010, the regulatory powers of the Society were transferred to the newly formed General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The RPSGB became the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) at that time and retained its professional leadership role; the "Great Britain" part of the name was dropped for day-to-day purposes.
A pharmacy technician (PhT) performs pharmacy-related functions including but not limited to filling out prescription medications. Training, certification, licensing, and actual practice of pharmacy technicians varies not only worldwide but in some countries regionally as well as by employer.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the body responsible for the leadership and support of the pharmacy profession (pharmacists) within England, Scotland, and Wales. It was created along with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in September 2010 when the previous Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was split so that representative and regulatory functions of the pharmacy profession could be separated. Membership in the society is not a prerequisite for engaging in practice as a pharmacist within the United Kingdom. Its predecessor the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was founded on 15 April 1841.
BNF for Children (BNFC) is the standard UK paediatric reference for prescribing and pharmacology.
The United Kingdom Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 aimed to control the possession and supply of numerous listed drugs and drug-like substances as a controlled substance. The act allowed and regulated the use of some Controlled Drugs by various classes of persons acting in their professional capacity.
The Medicines Act 1968 is an act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its official long title is "An Act to make new provision with respect to medicinal products and related matters, and for purposes connected therewith." It governs the control of medicines for human use and for veterinary use, which includes the manufacture and supply of medicines, and the manufacture and supply of (medicated) animal feeding stuffs.
A pharmacy is a premises which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacist oversees the fulfillment of medical prescriptions and is available to counsel patients about prescription and over-the-counter drugs or about health problems and wellness issues. A typical pharmacy would be in the commercial area of a community.
Healthcare in Wales is mainly provided by the Welsh public health service, NHS Wales. NHS Wales provides healthcare to all permanent residents that is free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation. Health is a matter that is devolved, and considerable differences are now developing between the public healthcare systems in the different countries of the United Kingdom, collectively the National Health Service (NHS). Though the public system dominates healthcare provision, private health care and a wide variety of alternative and complementary treatments are available for those willing to pay.
Lara Rose is a British singer, songwriter and recording artist with gospel, soul, funk and R&B roots. Her early singing experience started in school and church where she sang in the choir and performed with various gospel artists.
Raj Kumar Aggarwal is a Welsh-Indian pharmacist, public health expert, businessman and the first ever Honorary Consul for India with jurisdiction for Wales. In this role, he is responsible for helping to further links between Welsh and Indian business, educational establishments and cultural organisations, as well as looking after the needs of Indian nationals living and working in Wales. In March 2015, he was appointed president of the Consular Association of Wales.
Pharmacy2U is a British online pharmacy company, which manages NHS repeat prescriptions on behalf of patients.
Jean Kennedy Irvine was a pharmacist from Hawick, Scotland and the first woman president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
Nadia Bukhari is a British pharmacist of Pakistani origin living in London, United Kingdom. In 2018, she was awarded the status of Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) making her the youngest female fellow under the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain; an honor bestowed to those who have achieved excellence and distinction in their pharmacy career. In addition, she is the first Muslim female and British Pakistani to be a board member of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for England, UK.
Bugewa Omawumi Apampa is a professor of Pharmacy Education at the University of Sussex and the former Director of Pharmacy Development. At the time of her promotion to professor, she was one of 18 black female university professors in the UK.
Claire Anderson is a British pharmacist who is a professor at the University of Nottingham. She investigates pharmacy practice research, and developed the first diploma in community pharmacy.
Soraya Dhillon MBE holds the title professor emeritus at the University of Hertfordshire known for her work in the field of clinical pharmacokinetics, drug handling, patient safety, and the evaluation of the role of the pharmacist in health care. She is a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Linda Julia Morcombe Bryant is a New Zealand clinical pharmacist. Bryant was awarded a Gold Medal by the Pharmaceutical Society in 2019, and in 2022 she was appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to pharmacy and health.
Louisa Stammwitz was a British pharmacist whose campaigning contributed to the admission of women to the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, along with the efforts of Rose Minshull, Alice Hart, and Isabella Clarke.
