Executive Chair
Kath Gulson has a wide range of experience working across community pharmacy and local pharmaceutical committees (LPC).
She joined CPL as Chief Executive Officer in 2016 and became Executive Chair for the Committee in February 2022, having also taken up the post of Chair for the Local Professional Network for Pharmacy across NHSE&I Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Vice-Chair – Independent
Michael Ball has been in and around pharmacies since before he could walk or talk as the son of a passionate retail pharmacy manager. Graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2005, he undertook his pre-registration training year with Lloyds Pharmacy in Whalley (Nr Clitheroe), having spent every last spare minute he had working across twenty different Lloyds Pharmacy stores throughout Lancashire during his breaks from studying at college & University. Following registration as a qualified pharmacist in 2006, and after a brief stint managing a busy health centre pharmacy in his first role, Michael decided to join a small independent firm. It was here that he got to grips with what is involved in developing and managing a successful community pharmacy business. In 2009, he was approached by his current employers, Broadway Pharmacy in Fulwood, Preston, with a view to taking on the reigns of managing the extremely reputable family business. Over the last five years, he feels it has been an extremely exciting phase for community pharmacy, and the increasing diversity of the role and expectations of our communities, will hopefully raise the profile of our profession. We do however, have a collective responsibility to embrace the challenges ahead, to continue to demonstrate that community pharmacy is rightly placed to be a key player in improving the health and well-being of our communities. In 2014, being elected onto the LPC for the first time is a real privilege, and he promises to champion pharmacy on behalf of all contractors in Lancashire.
Committee Member – Independent
Asif Adam is the Superintendent Pharmacist for Whittle Pharmacies Ltd. He has worked in community pharmacy for over 20 years in various roles. He is currently also the Chair of Bolton LPC and has previously served on East Lancashire LPC.
Committee Member – CCA
Roger Balshaw works for Well Pharmacy and previously Co-operative Pharmacy for over 20 years and is a long serving member of Community Pharmacy Lancashire. Roger currently chairs CPL’s Governance Sub Committee – which fits perfectly with his role in Professional and Regulatory Standards at Well.
Committee Member – CCA
Arifbhai Bhuriya is an overseas pharmacist, who arrived in the UK in 2005.After successful completion of pre-registration in 2006 he began practising as a community pharmacist. Arif has worked for all the large multiples including Boots and Lloyds. He is currently working as a pharmacy manager for Rowlands Pharmacy. In addition Arif is Lead pharmacist for HMP Haverigg, Cumbria. He sits on the Medicine management and service delivery board for HMP Haverigg.
Committee Member – Independent
Riaz Hinglotwala graduated as a Pharmacist in 1996, after which he worked as a Pharmacy Manager and Consultant Pharmacist for Tesco, Boots and Cohen’s.
Since the year 2000 he worked for different Independent Pharmacies opening, managing and developing individual branches.
He was part of the then Blackburn with Darwen PCT as a prescribing support pharmacist at several GP surgeries. He is currently managing two pharmacies in Blackburn, a role he has been in since 2012.
He has studied for a post graduate clinical diploma at Liverpool John Moores University, Advanced type two diabetes management course at Warwick Medical School and supplementary and independent prescribing at UCLAN.
He is a pre-reg pharmacist tutor and has provided training sessions for medical school students at local GP training practices. Riaz says he is a strong advocate for independent pharmacists and represents their interests at all levels.
Committee Member – AIM
Tahir Hussain has been a practicing pharmacist for over 25 years starting with Boots, Peels, Lloyds and now Cohens Chemists where he has managed various stores, from high street to Health Centre stores. He has held various posts including Management Support Pharmacist, Regional Development Manager and Head of Region. He currently provides Regional Professional Support to Management and is passionate about how pharmacy can benefit the individual and in particular the value added services that pharmacy can deliver to patients. He has taken part in various pilots to showcase pharmacy services demonstrating it’s contribution and potential to the wider NHS.
Committee Member – Independent
Khalid Khan has spent his entire career in community pharmacy ever since his student days. He is currently the “Head of Training and Professional Standards” at pharmacy chain Imaan Healthcare and Superintendent Pharmacist at Kepple Lane Pharmacy in Garstang. Khalid has a particular interest in pre-registration training and sits as a community pharmacy representative on various regional and national boards related to this area. He has recently been seconded to Health Education England as Training Programme Director for Pre-registration for the North West, he is also a member of the GPhC Fitness to Practice Committee. Khalid is keen to use the knowledge and skills acquired in these various settings to help support members of the LPC.
Committee Member – CCA
Yusuf Oomer graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in 2005. He qualified 2006 after completing his pre-registration at Boots. He works for Superdrug Pharmacy as Pharmacy Manager. He is also a pre-reg tutor with 100% pass rate and a mentor for UCLAN placement students. He has held previous positions; regional healthcare manager (mat leave) and cluster lead manager. He enjoys working in community pharmacy and would like to give his time to help to develop community pharmacy in a positive way, especially with the current climate.
Committee Member – CCA
Richard Wood is the past Vice Chair of Community Pharmacy Lancashire, formerly Chair of East Lancashire LPC. Founder Member of Lancashire Pharmacy Network. Richard has served for over 16 years on an LPC, firstly as an employee representative and subsequently as a CCA member whilst employed by Boots and then Asda. Previous to the merger, East Lancashire LPC, achieved the status of a pilot site for Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) something he is justly proud of. He has a particular interest in Contract Applications and Relocations and has for several years represented the LPC on the Appeals Panel for Applications.
Committee Member – AIM
Keri Mc court has worked in various roles since qualifying as a pharmacist in 2009, . She started her career as a hospital pharmacist in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. After this, she relocated to Northern Ireland where she worked as a locum pharmacist for many years in various community pharmacies, before taking up a managerial pharmacist position in a small but busy community pharmacy just outside of Southport. Keri has been here now for almost 7 years. These various posts have allowed her to experience different sectors of pharmacy, working in both hospital and community settings along with different community pharmacy contracts.
Committee Member – Independent
Ali Dalal has been an independent contractor for 11 years and he is the superintendent of Alamaz Limited, which is a small group of community pharmacies in the North West.
Ali has achieved his independent prescriber qualification from the University of Manchester and he is a member of the GMLPC and HSHK LPC.
Working in different divisions and interacting with multi-disciplinary teams has given Ali a great insight into the dynamics of community pharmacy, the challenges faced by the independent sector and the work required to make a strong place for the independent sector within the wider NHS.
Ali would like to see better remuneration structures for the services we provide and contractors to be at the forefront of all clinical services, this is because Pharmacies are well placed to take some burden off the doctors and work together to ease the pressures faced by the system today.
He would like pharmacies to be the pioneers of using technology to make them more efficient and integrate them within the digital NHS spine interface so they can have a better visibility and communication with primary and secondary care systems.
Committee Member – CCA
Georgina Barber has been a pharmacist for over 23 years and chose pharmacy as a career as she wanted to care for patients. Georgina has only ever worked in Community Pharmacy, currently working for Boots. She has had a very fulfilling career involving roles from pharmacy advisor to pharmacist and currently in a senior management role. Georgina strongly believes that we have the knowledge and skills to support patients, customers and also the NHS and in Community Pharmacy and we are perfectly placed to be able to do this.
Committee Member – CCA
Rima Bagratyan
