The PJ Pod

For Tase Oputu, becoming the first president of the Royal College of Pharmacy is “the greatest honour of my career”, and she says the move to a royal college is already changing how pharmacy is received by policymakers.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, Oputu talks to reporter Corrinne Burns about her career in hospital pharmacy and commissioning, her long-standing commitment to inclusion and diversity, and what is happening to the recommendations handed over by the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board.

She also urges members and non-members alike to weigh in on the College's long-term draft strategy: "If you don't agree with things, come and talk to us about it as well.”

Thank you to Tase for taking the time to speak to us. This episode was presented by reporter Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior editor, research and learning Alex Clabburn talks to Ed Hindle.

Ed is an advanced specialist pharmacist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and leads the ocular inflammation therapeutics service, which manages the ongoing care of patients with sight threatening inflammatory eye disease — the largest service of its kind in the UK. Our conversation touches on the type of interventions pharmacists at Moorfields are delivering for patients and what it’s like working at a specialist trust. We also discuss the opportunities that exist for professional development, while Ed provides advice on where pharmacists can go if they are interested in pursing a specialism in ophthalmology.   

Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of practice.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

Electronic Prescription System (EPS) nominations connect patients with the pharmacy where they can collect their medication – and often access other services, help and advice while they’re there.

Only patients can set up or change their nominated pharmacy – it can’t be done by the pharmacy or GP unless at the patient’s request.

But recently, reports have emerged that nominations have been changed without patient consent, sometimes in bulk, and possibly using an automatic system. One integrated care board received as many as 92 complaints about this in the last year.

In this ‘Spotlight’ episode of The PJ Pod, executive editor Carolyn Wickware and investigations editor Joanna Robertson discuss the impact that nomination switching has on patients and pharmacies, the scale of the issue and what’s being done about it.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, Joanna Robertson, senior clinical reporter, talks to Mark Stuart, a sports pharmacist whose 25-year career has spanned Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth games, as well as anti-doping education at the International Testing Agency.

Our conversation also touches on the growing use of supplements, how a pharmacist's expertise helps athletes think through how their medication might impact their performance and how to navigate doping regulations.

Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of pharmacy practice and explore more resources relating to sports pharmacy below.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, senior features editor Siobhan Chan examines how the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being communicated outside of traditional clinical and policy settings. 

The episode talks about Lifeline, a musical that brings together the history of antibiotics and the modern realities of drug-resistant infections.

We speak to two practising pharmacists who perform in the chorus of Lifeline: Marsha Boltova, an emergency department pharmacist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust; and Shay Khan, a specialist infection pharmacist and advanced clinical practitioner. They describe how their day-to-day work places them at the forefront of antimicrobial stewardship, from influencing initial antibiotic prescribing in A&E to managing complex infections with limited treatment options.

Also, playwright Becky Hope-Palmer explains how the musical demonstrates that AMR remains an urgent global challenge.

The episode also explores the wider context of AMR in England. Diane Ashiru-Oredope, lead pharmacist for AMR at the UK Health Security Agency, outlines the current state of AMR, using the latest surveillance data. She discusses why — despite some progress in reducing antibiotic use — resistance remains a significant and growing threat.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

Over the past two years, around 200 community pharmacies in England have been involved in NHS England’s ‘Community pharmacy independent prescribing pathfinder programme’, trialling different clinical models to discover what a community pharmacy prescribing service could look like.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, senior clinical reporter Joanna Robertson shares on-the-ground reporting from two pharmacies involved in the programme, as well as discussions with pharmacy leaders about what building blocks will need to be in place for a nationally commissioned service in England.

With thanks to the contributors featured on this episode: Omar Sawar, pharmacy manager at Farah Chemists in Newcastle, Mark Burdon, community pharmacist at Burdon Pharmacies, Ewan Maule, clinical director for medicines and pharmacy at North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, and Harry McQuillan, chair of Numark and former chief executive of Community Pharmacy Scotland.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

On 15 April 2026, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society became the Royal College of Pharmacy and — as Karen Baxter, the organisation's interim chief executive, says — that date “isn't the end of this story: it's just the foundation stone”.

In this episode of The PJ Pod, Baxter and outgoing chief executive Paul Bennett reflect on the journey up until this moment, the path that now lies ahead and the sense of optimism that surrounds this historic moment.

Thank you to Karen and Paul for taking time out to share their thoughts with us.

This episode was presented by reporter Corrinne Burns and produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, Alex Clabburn, senior editor — research and learning, talks to Shane Kailla, a principal pharmacist and advanced clinical practitioner working in acute and emergency medicine.

Shane has worked as an emergency department pharmacist since 2021, with his current role focused on establishing the first dedicated pharmacy provision within a large NHS trust in the West Midlands.

Listen to this episode to find out more about this rapidly developing area of pharmacy practice.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

In this episode of Pharmacy Inside Jobs, senior features editor Siobhan Chan talks to Li Shean Toh.

Toh is an astropharmacist, who is currently based at Monash University in Australia and also holds roles at the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency. She carries out clinical consultations, research and teaching into medicines management and the way our bodies process medication in microgravity. She also develops policy, works in space tourism and has co-founded a company called Apotech in Extreme, which aims to find pharmaceutical solutions for space exploration.

Before moving to her current role, Toh worked as a paediatric leukaemia pharmacist, as well as a GP pharmacist in rural Malaysia.

Listen to this episode to find out how to follow your academic interests and carve out your own niche in pharmacy research.

This episode was produced by Geoff Marsh.

Pharmacy Inside Jobs

Our PJ Pod series — Pharmacy Inside Jobs — has been developed to inspire you to take the next step in your career. Whether you are a pharmacy student or a seasoned pharmacy professional, our goal is to provide insights into the increasingly diverse roles that exist within the profession.

In each episode, we will be joined by a guest to explore their career journey so far, with a focus on their current role and the opportunities, challenges and rewards that it brings. We will also find out which skills are needed to succeed in their role and how you could follow in their footsteps.

In case you missed it, our first three Pharmacy Inside Jobs episodes featured prison pharmacist Kaniksha Aggarwal, who lifts the lid on what it is like to work as an advanced pharmacist specialist in a men’s prison; Gurmat Khangura, a specialist in neurodevelopmental conditions, who talks about his role conducting ADHD assessments for young people; and Sanjay Gudimetla, who reveals what it’s like to be a senior medical affairs manager within the pharmaceutical industry.

This episode of The PJ Pod looks at the importance of speaking up whenever you have a safety or wellbeing concern, and how exactly to go about that. We speak to Beth Carter, interim director of operations and strategy at the National Guardians Office; and Mark Pitt, pharmacist and director of defence services at the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, who set out what anyone working in pharmacy should know if they are thinking about raising concerns.

For links to further resources and sources of support when getting started in research visit The Pharmaceutical Journal website.

This episode is presented by Katherine Sole, editor of research and learning at The Pharmaceutical Journal, and produced by Geoff Marsh.