The finalists for this year’s Independent Pharmacy Awards, which celebrates the achievements of community pharmacists and their teams across the UK, have been announced.

The event, which takes place on Friday, October 8 at the House of Commons, has five categories including a new one for this year, the Extra Mile Award, to recognise how pharmacy team members have gone beyond the call of duty for their patients.

Alison Strath, who was recently appointed chief pharmaceutical officer for Scotland having held the role on an interim basis, is the keynote speaker at this year's Awards.

The finalists for the 2021 Independent Pharmacy Awards are:

Innovation Award
Shabbir Damani - Halls the Chemist, Peterborough 
Sobha Sharma Kandel - Woolwich Late Night Pharmacy, Woolwich 
Lindsey Fairbrother - Good Life Pharmacy, Hatton

Extra Mile Award 
Hardik Desai - Ticehurst Pharmacy, East Sussex 
Lisa Turvey - Late Night Yew Tree Pharmacy, Solihull 
Olivier Picard - Newdays Pharmacy, Buckinghamshire

Pharmacy Team of the Year 
Littleover Pharmacy, Derbyshire 
Penenden Heath Pharmacy, Kent 
Gilbody Pharmacy, Nottinghamshire 

Best Supporting LPC (or equivalent body) 
Kent LPC 
Greater Manchester LPC 
Thames Valley LPC

Independent Pharmacist of the Year 
Amish Patel - Hodgson Pharmacy, Kent 
Olivier Picard - Newdays Pharmacy, Buckinghamshire 
John-Paul Mackie - Mackie Pharmacy, Glasgow