2026 I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards Finalist
Sharon Lucas
Level 5 Certificate in Medicine Management for Pharmacy Technicians
Medicine Management Technician, Rainbow Pharmacy
United Kingdom
Bio
I am Sharon Lucas, a registered Pharmacy Technician with 27 years’ experience across community pharmacy, GP practice and hospital settings. I began my career at a time when pharmacy dispensers still compounded preparations such as cough mixtures and menthol in aqueous cream. Today, at Rainbow Pharmacy in Ipswich, my role is increasingly patient-facing and clinical — vaccination programmes, weight-management clinics, blood pressure screening, ear health and microsuction services, B12 injections, and travel health consultations, while continuing to develop my scope through phlebotomy training. In 2025, I was named Independent Pharmacy Technician of the Year at the Independent Pharmacy Awards at the House of Commons, and I’ve been shortlisted again for 2026.
Her Impact Story
My work is about seeing the person behind every prescription and using every opportunity I have as a pharmacy technician to improve someone’s health, confidence or quality of life. In weight-management clinics, I have supported hundreds of patients, including people whose weight loss has significantly improved their diabetes and metabolic health.
Through blood pressure clinics, I identified stage 2 hypertension in an elderly patient, resulting in same-day clinical escalation and treatment. In ear-health clinics, I have identified infections before treatment and safely removed foreign material from patients’ ears — one patient had a hearing aid battery trapped in her ear! My care does not always end when the pharmacy closes; I have personally delivered medication after work to elderly, housebound patients outside our normal delivery area.
Measurable Results
- Trained and supported at least 50 dispensers and pharmacy technicians, plus mentoring/expert witness work through the NPA.
- Supported ~200–250+ patients through weight-management services.
- Helped deliver more than 2,500 vaccinations during the 2025 winter programme.
- Personally delivered 200+ COVID-19 vaccinations within the opening days of the Spring 2026 campaign.
- Delivered 37 RSV vaccinations in a single morning during the 2026 programme.
- Provides ~20 ear-health/microsuction consultations per week, with ~10% identifying issues requiring further treatment.
- Identified stage 2 hypertension in an elderly patient, resulting in same-day treatment.
- Completed the Dispensary Quality Scheme year-on-year at a GP practice, generating over £20,000 for the practice across 5 years.
Quotes & Perspective
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Personal Quote
“After 27 years in pharmacy, I still come to work wanting to make a difference to one more person… I never want a patient to feel that they are just another prescription.”
What I.M.P.A.C.T. Means to Her
“I.M.P.A.C.T. means proving that pharmacy technicians can have a genuine and lasting impact on people’s lives. To be recognised internationally after 27 years in pharmacy is something I never imagined when I first stood in a dispensary making cough mixtures and creams.”
What First Drew Her to This Work
“I started in pharmacy 27 years ago and very quickly discovered that I loved being able to help people… What motivates me today is still the same thing that motivated me at the beginning: people.”
A Moment She's Most Proud Of
“Standing at the House of Commons in London and being named Independent Pharmacy Technician of the Year 2025 was something I will never forget… But my proudest moments also happen quietly in the consultation room.”
Advice for Other Pharmacy Technicians
“Never underestimate your value or allow the traditional boundaries of the pharmacy technician role to define what you can become… never become so busy that you stop seeing the person standing in front of you.”
Key Takeaway
“You never have to stop growing… You can embrace an expanding clinical role without ever losing the kindness and human connection that brought many of us into healthcare in the first place.”
Her Impact Story
Links to Feature
APTUK 2025 Abstract Book
Supporting link (award coverage)
Facebook post
Testimonials
"The ethos at Rainbow Pharmacy for over 40 years has always been going above and beyond for our local community... Sharon's passion for patient care, her advanced clinical expertise, and her dedication to healthcare made her a standout winner."
"I have used Rainbow since 1999... Today it was with Sharon. She was amazing and made it so easy and she really brightened our day."
Brilliant, supportive, reassuring and helped me reach goals... It was from the consultations and reassurance given to me that I had the confidence to come off and keep going - Sharon is the best person to go on this journey with you."
Voting is Open
Support Sharon Lucas
in the 2026 I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards
Cast your vote, then join the LIVE Online Pharmacy Technician I.M.P.A.C.T. Awards Ceremony on RXTech Day, October 20, 2026.
Voting closes September 30, 2026