A pharmacist who runs three pharmacies in Reading and High Wycombe has been elected to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) board.

Olivier Picard (pictured), who has been a community pharmacist for nearly 20 years and trained in France, will be the NPA board representative for Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands from January 21.

“The NPA has an increasingly important role to play in the strategic influencing of the Department of Health and national stakeholders, to ensure that external factors have a positive impact on pharmacies. I’m really excited at the prospect of being at the forefront of it,” he said.

“Moving forward, I intend to defend the interests of all NPA members and ensure that the NPA provides its members with the relevant support to make every community pharmacy resilient to change.”

NPA chair Nitin Sodha said: “Olivier has already established a record of promoting and furthering the interests of community pharmacy and we are delighted to have him join the board. He brings energy and fresh thinking and will be a great fit to work alongside the excellent team already in place.”