Laura Grant
Airdrie
Summary
Knowledgeable pharmacist professional with 27 years of experience in pharmacy. Expert health adviser skilled at identifying conditions and pairing products for effective treatment. Devoted to delivering maximum value to individuals and community.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Pharmacist
Boots the Chemist
Airdrie
07.1999 - Current
- I have worked as a community pharmacist for 23 years within the same organisation. I have some management experience within those years of practice where I have had to manage teams of people and attend to disciplinary matters, training and coaching. Provided training to pharmacy students on clinical practices and patient care, two Pre-Reg Pharmacists and ACT trainees, as well as many dispensers over the years. This has involved additional CPD for coaching and assessing individuals. I have had experience in Care home dispensing which involved clinical and accuracy checks of medications and contact with care home staff to answer medical and medication queries. Conducted care home visits to support service delivery and address shortfalls in patient care. For the last 13 years I have been working in the same branch as base pharmacist. The pharmacy I currently work in is a late-night store open seven days a week. Weekend activities include many customer consultations as customers find it a bit quieter than through the week and use that opportunity to ask advice on ailments. This leads to a high activity of pharmacy first led conversations including general minor ailments; impetigo; shingles; and skin infection as well as UTI and EHC consultations. I feel very confident in diagnosing and treating these as I have seen many cases in my time there. I also have a large quantity of substance misuse patients for whom I prepare daily medication. I have a close relationship with the local addictions team and provide stock for their regular Buvidal clinics. Working at the weekends means I often had to refer patients to the out of hours service when their needs could not be met within my current prescribing scope of practice and where the unscheduled care PGD is of no use. Having gained my independent prescribing annotation I need to do this less but am aware of my limitations and still do this when required. We have a large number of blister pack patients as well so careful attention to the timings of when to take individual medications is something I need to consider regularly. I have also delivered flu and pneumonia vaccinations in my time there which involved appropriate injection technique training, first aid and anaphylaxis training and additional CPD each year for the current national guidelines on which flu strains were expected to hit.
- As previously mentioned, I have 23 years experience in UK community pharmacy settings, having qualified as a pharmacist in 2000. Having delivered a flu vaccination service throughout the Covid-19 pandemic I was able to provide support to patients and the National Health Service by providing vaccinations outwith GP/locally organised settings and offer advice as to why it was beneficial to receive it. Patients felt they were taking some of the strain off the NHS at a very difficult time. It also offered an opportunity to build a bond with some of our local community who perhaps would not have visited us previously in order that they felt they had somewhere to come and ask advice on other matters. My time as a weekend/late night pharmacist has been valuable in building my expertise on the Pharmacy First service. Being able to change formulation of medication to liquid versus capsules as per PGD has been a valuable tool to avoid wasting time of Gps/out of hours services. My current pharmacy is listed in the local palliative care network and as such carries an extended formulary of stock for patients requiring palliative care. This is an incredibly useful situation as it stops unnecessary waiting for patients and families of patients in order that they can receive the medication they need in a much more timely manner. Part of my role is keeping these items in stock and making sure they are reordered when used to ensure continuity of availability in emergency situations which is particularly helpful given our extended opening hours. As a high volume pharmacy we have a large number of controlled drug supplies and maintaining the CD register on a weekly basis, including methadone, ensures safe supply and constant renewal of stock to avoid delay for patients who require this medication. It is my responsibility to ensure upkeep of these records.
- I qualified as an independent prescriber in July 2025 and have been delivering the Pharmacy First Plus service since October 2025, prescribing for acute throat infection, otitis media and externa, sinusitis, cellulitis, paronychia, shingles, impetigo, urinary tract infection. I work on developing my scope of practice every few months to add new areas of expertise.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Pharmacy
University of Strathclyde
Glasgow01-1999
Skills
- Independent prescribing
- Prescription management
- Pharmaceutical care
- Medication safety
- Clinical assessment
- Patient safety compliance
- Patient record maintenance
- Patient counselling
- Community pharmacy practice experience
- Customer relations
- Verbal communication
- Patient confidentiality
- Professional integrity
Timeline
Pharmacist
Boots the Chemist
07.1999 - Current
Bachelor of Science - Pharmacy
University of Strathclyde