Olivier Picard takes over as NPA Chair

Olivier Picard has replaced Nick Kaye as Chair of the National Pharmacy Association, with Nick’s fixed term in office formally coming to an end at a NPA board meeting this week. Olivier owns and operates four pharmacies in the Home Counties and has served as the association’s Vice Chair for the past two years.

Sukhi Basra takes over as Vice Chair and Baldev Bange becomes Treasurer.

Nick Kaye, previous NPA Chair said:

• “It’s right that we regularly renew our board and its officers, in line with the NPA’s constitution.”
• “It has been the professional privilege of my career to chair an organisation I care so deeply about. I want to thank the amazing people that work within the organisation and do so much behind the scenes, and my fellow board colleagues that spend time away from their businesses, family and friends and sacrifice a lot to represent us all.
• “In the last two years, together, we have achieved a lot – including a sustained media campaign raising the profile of members, our struggles and showcasing community pharmacy as whole, and I do believe this moved the number positively in the English contract negotiations, whilst also supporting the entire membership across all four nations.
• “Plus travelling to Scotland, Wales and Northern Island to see how the NPA uniquely works across these jurisdictions and sharing best practice which benefits us all.
• “We as an organisation are for our members from our members – a family of families. This ethos runs through everything we do.”

Olivier Picard said:

• “It’s an honour to take over as chair from my brilliant predecessor Nick Kaye who has worked so energetically on behalf of NPA members and will undoubtedly continue to do so. His are big shoes to fill, but I will wear them with pride. I’ll keep the interests of NPA members at the heart of everything I do.
• “As I look forward to the challenges ahead, I’m pleased to be surrounded by high calibre board colleagues and an impressive staff team.
• “I will keep asking, why are we here and how can we make things better, together? For me the answer to that question is because we care, because we can see a system that can be better, because we believe that change is possible, and because we know that the people we serve – our patients, our communities and our colleagues deserve nothing less.”

Sukhi Basra has served her central London community for over 25 years as owner of CliniChem Pharmacy in Victoria. She said: “I am a keen advocate for raising the profile of community pharmacy, which is a humble profession that is frequently overlooked as a solution for important healthcare challenges.

• “We are clinicians and specialists in the use of medicines, not shop keepers.
• “As the NPA’s first female Vice Chair, it’s wonderful to be in a leadership position on a board with the highest proportion of female representation in the NPA’s long history.

Joining the board for the period April 2025 to March 2027, alongside existing members, are Dorset pharmacist Mike Hewitson, Dave Thomas from Cardiff and Joanne McMullan representing NPA members in Northern Ireland.

Mike Hewitson and Sukhi Basra will serve two years as NPA nominees to Community Pharmacy England. This will come into effect from the next meeting of Community Pharmacy England in June.