Sobha Sharma Kandel’s pharmacy journey began with a passion for chemistry and early experiences at Hammersmith Hospital and Boots. After earning her Master of Pharmacy from UCL in 2004 and qualifying in 2005, she expanded her expertise with an MSc in Pharmacy Practice and independent prescribing. In 2009, Sobha entered the independent pharmacy sector, growing her business to four branches by 2023. Despite balancing family, business, and studies, her dedication earned her a Fellowship of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
In an interview with Asian Voice, she spoke about the South Asian representation in pharmacy, challenges faced by local pharmacies and much more.
1.How has south asian representation in pharmacy evolved, and what changes have you seen in opportunities and recognition for South Asian pharmacists?
The history of independent community pharmacy in the UK is closely linked to immigrant stories, especially from the South Asian community. In the 1980s, many young Asian immigrants pursued pharmacy for its entrepreneurial opportunities, leading to an estimated 50% of independent pharmacies in Britain being Asian-owned today. Pharmacy remains a popular and respected career choice for South Asians, with many receiving royal honours for their contributions and playing key roles in the sector's diversity and leadership.
My parents migrated from Nepal to the UK in the early 70s, and I was born and raised in London in the 80s. Growing up, our local pharmacy, owned by Indian-origin pharmacists, supported our family immensely as my parents navigated healthcare challenges due to language and cultural barriers. This experience deeply inspired me to support my community in a similar way. I believe I am the first pharmacy contractor of Nepali origin in the UK, and I am grateful for the opportunities and support I’ve received from the wider South Asian pharmacist community.
2. In what ways do you believe increased south asian representation in the pharmacy industry can positively impact the communities you serve?
Increased South Asian representation in pharmacy helps us provide culturally sensitive care, reducing health inequalities and improving accessibility. In Greenwich, where Nepali is the second most spoken language, my Nepali heritage uniquely positions me to support the large Nepalese population. During my MSc, my thesis on medication adherence among ex-Gurkha elders in Greenwich revealed medium to low adherence rates and concurrent use of herbal medicines, often undisclosed to healthcare professionals. This presents challenges in patient care, necessitating better education for healthcare professionals on managing such cases. My PhD research continues to focus on optimising patient care by improving healthcare professionals' understanding of herbal medicine use among patients, a topic relevant to all South Asians.
3. What are some of the major challenges facing local pharmacies today, and how do you address these challenges in your business?
The main challenges we face are NHS funding cuts, which have led to many pharmacy closures, worsened by inflation and workforce issues. Despite our significant contributions, the government doesn't fully recognise the role of community pharmacies, expecting us to do more with less support. To address this, we’re diversifying our income streams by offering private services like travel clinics, minor ailments clinics, and blood testing. With general practice overstretched, community pharmacies must be relied upon as the frontline for diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care to promote patient health and wellbeing.
I believe that Covid-19 has helped shift public perception of community pharmacies from being a place where one goes to collect a prescription to a hub where one can access a range of healthcare advice and services. A holistic approach is the way forward and this is what patients want as they are more proactive about their health.
4 How do your pharmacies engage with the local community, and what initiatives have you implemented to support and connect with customers?
We are passionate about increasing healthcare access and have worked on initiatives to reduce health inequalities in the South Asian community. This includes volunteering with AFNO (Advocacy for Nepalese Organisation), providing weekly health advice and checks at our pharmacies, and organising physical and mental health awareness sessions. Our pharmacy team has also boosted Covid-19 and flu vaccine uptake in BAME communities in Greenwich by creating bilingual videos in English and Nepali to promote vaccinations, supporting NHS Greenwich's efforts to reduce health disparities in the borough. My team has engaged in outreach activities at local community centres, temples, and mosques, including vaccination programs. We organised an information session with Public Health Greenwich on latent TB for the Nepalese community. I also served on a panel at a health and wellbeing fair organised by the NHS during South Asian Heritage Month, where I spoke about local healthcare services available in pharmacies and the evolving role of pharmacists.
