18th October 2006

The Wicker Pharmacy celebrated a triple success when managing director, Martin Bennett, attended the glitzy Pharmacy Business Awards dinner at the London Hilton Hotel. The Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt MP was in attendance when the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England and Wales presented Sheffield pharmacist Martin Bennett with the national "Community Award" which recognises a community pharmacist who has played a significant role in providing exceptional services to the community.

This comes hot on the heels of the Wicker Pharmacy receiving the prestigious "Pharmacy Platinum Design Award" as the best designed pharmacy in the UK for the period 2004-2006, which, in itself, followed Mr Bennett's receipt of the Charter Silver Medal from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Tinsley born, Martin was educated at Woodhouse Grammar School before reading pharmacy at Bradford University. His career started at the old Royal Hospital in Sheffield moving to positions in Jersey and then in Wales before he became MD of Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd in 1973.

He was thrilled to receive the Pharmacy Business Award . He commented on the night - "I'm really proud to take this award back to Sheffield. Associated Chemists was formed in 1951 and was the first ever pharmacy to be funded by all the independent chemists in an area. The aim was to join together and provide a top quality extended hours pharmacy service - we have maintained that approach with the pharmacy being open every day since it opened in January 1952. In addition the Wicker Pharmacy has always been at the forefront of pharmacy development and I am pleased to see this has been recognised nationally. With over 60 staff the Wicker provides a whole range of services. The people of Sheffield now have some of the best pharmacy facilities in the country, with a £120,000 state-of-the art robot dispensing unit serving two floors. In addition the recently refurbished Mobility department is housed in a showroom second to none! I urge the Sheffield public to take a trip along the Wicker and see what has been created."

Later this week the Department of Health's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Keith Ridge, will do just that by visiting the Wicker Pharmacy to see for himself how they have developed services for housebound patients (wicker2u), for treating drug addiction, minor ailments, emergency contraception and medicine use reviews along with their extensive showrooms displaying a comprehensive range of equipment to help those with disabilities. Full details can be found on www.wicker.co.uk.

Attached : Photo of Martin Bennett with the 3 trophies inside the recently refurbished pharmacy.

For further information please contact Wicker Pharmacy
e-mail: press@wicker.co.uk
telephone : 0114 272 7676