"Take every opportunity to learn, embrace new challenges, remain curious and always keep patients at the centre of everything you do." Rabia Begum

On National Pharmacists Week, we celebrate colleagues like Rabia Begum, whose work is transforming patient care through specialist ADHD services.

For Rabia, Advanced Clinical Pharmacist within the ADHD Service, pharmacy is about more than medicines. It is about empowering patients, improving quality of life and ensuring people receive safe, effective and personalised care.

A qualified pharmacist for four years, Rabia specialises in the review, optimisation and prescribing of ADHD medication. Through medication reviews, prescribing and ongoing monitoring, she supports patients throughout their treatment journey, helping them achieve the best possible outcomes at work, education and in everyday life.

Rabia's journey into pharmacy began during a gap year in community pharmacy, where she discovered a passion for the profession. Since then, she has progressed from Healthcare Assistant and Dispenser to Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber, developing a specialist interest in ADHD services along the way.

Alongside her clinical role, Rabia works closely with pharmacists, doctors, nurses, psychologists and other colleagues to continually improve the ADHD service and deliver high-quality, patient-centred care. She is also committed to developing others, supporting colleagues and future pharmacy professionals while undertaking Quality Improvement training.

Rabia has led a number of service improvements, including developing tools to support junior pharmacists and projects that have improved the timeliness of medication supplies for patients.

Rabia considers National Pharmacists Week as an opportunity to recognise the growing contribution pharmacists make across healthcare: "Pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring medicines are used safely and effectively while helping patients achieve the best possible outcomes."

Looking ahead, Rabia hopes to become a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), supporting future Independent Prescribers and contributing to the continued growth of ADHD services.

Through her clinical expertise, commitment to innovation and passion for patient care, Rabia exemplifies the valuable contribution pharmacists make across healthcare every day.