In a rural community, where enhanced services are not traditionally available, these initiatives have reduced healthcare inequality and improved accessibility for patients. It means that patients no longer need to travel long distances or wait for treatment for minor, but impactful, conditions.
Under the leadership of Zain Younis, Syed Ali and Mohammed Idreece Khan, Campbeltown Pharmacy has become a healthcare hub for the local community and is this year’s winner of the Commitment to Health and Wellbeing Award.
Historically pharmacy services in the town had focused primarily on dispensing, with limited access to enhanced clinical care. Zain, Ali and Idreece saw an opportunity and a responsibility to change that. As a remote community, Campbeltown had often been disadvantaged compared to larger towns and cities where innovative prescribing services and specialist clinics were more readily available. The trio were keen to address this and to ensure their patients had access to the same standard of modern, clinically led pharmacy care seen elsewhere in Scotland.
So they created a pharmacy where patients could easily walk in and receive high quality and timely healthcare. Prescribing pharmacists, Zain and Ali, now deliver daily prescribing clinics where they assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions including throat, mouth and chest infections, ear and skin infections and even altitude sickness. Working collaboratively with the local GP practice, patients are actively referred to the service, releasing valuable GP and nursing capacity for more urgent cases. The pharmacy now delivers approximately 60 Pharmacy First Plus consultations per month alongside a well used walk in service requiring no appointment, significantly improving timely, same day access to care.
In addition to this, Idreece has spearheaded a dedicated weight loss clinic in response to high local demand, with nearly 150 patients now registered and receiving structured, face to face clinical support. Prior to its introduction, there was no face to face, pharmacy led weight management service available in the town. Patients often relied on online providers for weight loss injectables, frequently reporting that they felt unsupported, isolated and unsure how to manage side effects or lifestyle changes.
"Campbeltown Pharmacy has become a healthcare hub for the local community..."
By providing in person consultations, ongoing monitoring and accessible professional advice, the pharmacy has transformed that experience. Patients now benefit from regular follow ups, tailored guidance and safe prescribing oversight. Many report improved confidence, sustainable weight loss and a stronger understanding of long term health behaviours.
The changes Zain, Ali and Idreece have put in place have been monumental for the local community they serve, but it didn’t happen overnight, it took dedication and commitment. Introducing enhanced prescribing services in a rural area presented several challenges. One of the primary barriers was changing public perception, with patients initially viewing the pharmacy as a setting that purely dispensed medication, rather than somewhere you go for a clinical assessment and prescribing. To resolve this, the trio spent time educating patients at the counter, liaising closely with the GP practice to build referral pathways and consistently delivering safe, high quality consultations that built trust through experience.
Capacity and workload management were also significant considerations. Delivering daily prescribing clinics alongside core dispensing responsibilities required careful rota planning, protected clinic time and strong teamwork. By clearly defining roles within the team and ensuring adequate staffing support, the pharmacy has been able to maintain service quality without compromising safety.
By addressing perception, capacity and training in a structured and collaborative way they have succeeded in embedding sustainable, high quality prescribing services within the community.
The pharmacy has become recognised as a trusted healthcare destination within Campbeltown. Feedback consistently highlights how fortunate patients feel to have accessible, innovative care available locally, demonstrating a tangible improvement in health, wellbeing and confidence in community pharmacy services. Many comment on how reassuring it is to be treated quickly, locally and without the need for multiple appointments. The weight loss clinic has also had a significant impact, helping to reduce healthcare inequality in the local area.
Zain, Ali and Idreece were motivated by a desire to position their community pharmacy at the heart of local healthcare delivery, making Campbeltown part of the positive transformation taking place across the rest of Scotland - and that is exactly what they have done.
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