Dr Cheryl Smyth highlights the successes of the longest-serving female Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and shines a light on why she is such an inspiration to young female pharmacists.
With four national Chief Pharmaceutical Officers, the UK currently has a 50:50 gender split in these top national roles in NI and Scotland. However, given that two thirds of the profession are women, that is still under-representation. Rose Marie Parr is the longest-serving female pharmacist, leading in Scotland since 2015.
Rose Marie completed her BSc (Hons) and MSc Pharmacy degrees at the University of Strathclyde, then her EdD at the University of Glasgow. During the 1980s – 1990s, she worked in various hospital pharmacy roles.
In 1993, Rose Marie became the Director of Postgraduate Pharmacy Education for Scotland, then in 2002 became the Director of Pharmacy for NHS Education for Scotland. Past Chair of the Scottish Pharmacy Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), designated Fellow of the RPSGB and RPS Faculty Fellow, she holds honorary Professorships at both Scottish Schools of Pharmacy.
As CPO, she is the policy and professional lead for Pharmaceutical Care and NHS Pharmaceutical services across Scotland. Her vision puts pharmacists at the forefront of healthcare provision, driving the delivery of Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care, the Pharmacotherapy service, and the roll-out of new community services such as Pharmacy First and minor ailments free for all.
Rose Marie’s leadership skills and achievements demonstrate female pharmacists can reach the pinnacle of job roles. She is an inspiration to young female pharmacists aspiring to further their careers.
By Dr Cheryl Smyth, PDA Union Regional Official
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Achieving excellence in pharmaceutical care: a strategy for Scotland
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As part of our work to meet the demands of our growing membership and advance our work on equality, earlier this year we launched four Equality, Diversity and Inclusions (EDI) networks, including the NAWP Network (National Association of Women Pharmacists). Click the button below to learn more and join one or more of our networks today.
