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The London Ambulance Service has said the UK’s first ambulance pharmacy technician is on the verge of completing her registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Mahrukh Jaffar (pictured) started her apprenticeship with the service two years ago having worked part-time in a pharmacy while studying for her master's in economics at the University of Greenwich.

London Ambulance said her work in the pharmacy “sparked an interest in healthcare and pharmaceutical services” and she took a job in the service’s medicines packing unit at Barts Hospital.

The service said Mahrukh has been combining that role with her studies, gaining “practical and theoretical knowledge of medicines distribution, stock control, clinical guidance and regulatory compliance”.

London Ambulance said its pharmacy team “processes hundreds of thousands of medicines every year which are administered by ambulance crews in a variety of settings, including those that are chaotic or even dangerous”.

Mahrukh said: “It’s very rewarding to know my work is benefiting patients all across London.

“We have to be very careful when packing medicines for clinicians because they are working in a very fast paced environment so they rely on us to get it right.

“You do need to be accurate and pay attention to details. Patients depend on me. My work makes a difference.”

Sumithra Maheswaran, who was appointed London Ambulance’s first full-time chief pharmacist in 2017, said: “Mahrukh and our other apprentices play a vital role in the largest pharmaceutical team of any ambulance service in the country.

“Our team’s care and attention is improving patient care and ensuring crews can prepare their ambulances with stocks of medication quicker and more safely than ever before.”

Image: The London Ambulance Service