I joined Davidsons Chemists in 1990 as a recently qualified Chartered Accountant. At that time, the company had ten pharmacies, with most in Perthshire and one in Fife. I became Finance Director in 1993 and Managing Director in 1999. Over the years, the company and community pharmacy have gone through significant changes and challenges, but both have grown stronger and more resilient. My vision has always been to expand our pharmacy chain, enhance our professional influence, and build lasting relationships with patients, making Davidsons the pharmacy of choice in our communities.

I strongly believe in empowering our management teams and staff, giving them the autonomy to make decisions within clear operational parameters. This approach encourages them to grow, learn, and improve, helping them reach their full potential. Davidsons Chemists remains committed to investing in both our services and our people to continue delivering excellent care and service.

As the Superintendent Pharmacist at Davidsons Chemists for the last two decades, my role involves overseeing the professional and clinical standards across all branches. I help shape the organisations culture and success, ensuring our team provides high-quality healthcare services. My focus is on maintaining excellence in community pharmacy and supporting our staff in delivering the best possible care to our patients and customers. I take great pride in our team’s achievements, the success of our organisation, and our professional standing within our localities and the pharmacy profession in Scotland.

I also serve as the Chair of Community Pharmacy Tayside and am a CPS council and board member, representing community pharmacy owners and their teams throughout Scotland. Additionally, I am part of the CPS negotiation team, negotiating with the Scottish Government on behalf of our members on all terms of service, remuneration, and reimbursement under the NHS.

Being part of Davidsons Chemists, as Professional Services and Development Director allows me to support our community pharmacists at all stages of their career. We have over 60 Pharmacists working full time and part time. We have Pharmacy Managers with 20 plus years of experience and newly qualified professionals ready to embark on the new Post Registration Foundation Programme. We are particularly proud of the our independent prescribers, leading the way with service development across Scotland.

As a company we are well placed to deliver and understand the needs of the Scottish people and the skills and attributes required of the Pharmacists who will deliver them. My role is to enable our Pharmacists to be the best that they can be in the role they have chosen. Encouraging them to look after their own health and wellbeing and that of the teams around them while constantly looking to meet the needs of the communities around them.

As challenging as the last couple of years have been, the role of the Community Pharmacist has never been more recognised as an integral provider of essential services both NHS and Private and I look forward to seeing how this progresses in years to come.

My journey with Davidson’s Chemists began in 2004 as a Sales Supervisor in a branch-based role, while I completed a Psychology degree through the Open University. This experience was crucial in shaping my understanding of company operations and people skills, which have guided my approach to team collaboration and customer engagement.

After graduating in 2009, I moved to the head office as Senior Sales Supervisor, overseeing supervisors and managing our Retail and front-of-house operations. With the support of our executive management team, I took on increasing responsibilities, leading to my current role as Operations Manager. Here, I work closely with our dedicated Head Office team to support our branches in achieving operational excellence and customer care.

Davidsons has earned numerous awards over the years, including for our Smoking Cessation Service, which I’m passionate about and still oversee. However, my proudest achievement is now serving as the voice of Davidson’s Chemists!

In my role as Undergraduate Liaison Lead for Davidsons Chemists, I have the privilege of helping to develop the pharmacists of the future, supporting them in delivering healthcare across Scotland. I assist trainee pharmacists and pharmacy students during their university placements, helping them apply their knowledge and develop the skills needed to become community pharmacists. With close ties to Scottish schools of pharmacy, I teach and guide students in gaining practical experience. At Davidsons, we are committed to providing the resources and support students need to excel in their studies and careers.