New representatives join Community Pharmacy England Committee

Three new members have been co-opted to the Community Pharmacy England Committee to better reflect the make-up of the sector.

Following a period as Observers to the Committee, Has Modi, Managing Director of Jardines (UK) Ltd, and Mayank Patel, Superintendent Pharmacist of Pearl Chemist Group, have become the first Members to be nominated by the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA). Their places are in addition to the three Committee Members elected by non-CCA multiples and, like their counterparts, Has and Mayank now have full voting rights.

Meanwhile, Dervis Gurol, Healthy-U Pharmacy, an Independent NHS pharmacy owner and a member of Sussex LPC, has been selected to take up the additional, interim independent representative place on the Committee. Dervis joins the ten independent pharmacy owner Committee Members elected on a regional basis, known as Regional Representatives. The appointment follows a call for independent pharmacy owners (operating between one and nine pharmacy premises) to express interest in joining the Committee and subsequent interviews. The Committee is grateful to all the independent pharmacy owners who engaged in the process.

At the same time, the number of CCA representatives on the Committee has been reduced by one. Longstanding Committee Member Clare Kerr, of Rowlands Pharmacy and formerly Lloyds Pharmacy, has stood down.

These changes to Community Pharmacy England’s composition aim to ensure all categories of pharmacy owners are appropriately represented on its Committee and are part of wider work to even further strengthen governance. Informed by independent expert recommendations and supported by the sector bodies – the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), IPA and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) – the Committee discussed and agreed to the latest changes in September.

The Executive Team moved quickly to get implement the changes ahead of the November Committee meeting. As this falls outside of the usual election and nomination processes, the three new members were all co-opted by the Committee. They take up their posts from this month (November) and will sit on the Committee until Community Pharmacy England’s until the next elections in April 2027.

Adrian Price, Chair of CPE’s Governance and People Subcommittee, said:

“The Committee is pleased to be welcoming new members and increasing representation from the independent and 10 plus (non-CCA) multiple parts of the sector. Has, Mayank and Dervis will begin feeding into the critical day-to-day work of Community Pharmacy England with immediate effect and we look forward to working with them.”