Meet the RPS Education team

Helen studied pharmacy at the University of Bath. She is a community pharmacist by background, and managed several pharmacies across central London before joining the National Pharmacy Association information team, where she was responsible for creating key resources for community pharmacy.

Since joining the RPS in 2010 Helen has held various leadership roles within the organisation, overseeing the development of integral services and resources, including the professional support service, the RPS library, Faculty, our foundation trainee programme, mentoring, and the e-Portfolio.

Helen is a Trustee at Alcohol Change UK and is a member of the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association’s Quality Assurance Panel. She also actively contributes to the quality improvement of healthcare research. She is a member of a Research Ethics Committee with the Health Research Authority and is a peer reviewer for two international scholarly journals and Pharmacy Research UK.

She is passionate about workforce development and strives to improve access to high-quality, innovative, learning opportunities for the profession.

Since completing a PhD in Pharmaceutics, she has worked in academia in undergraduate and postgraduate settings, completed a Postgraduate Certificate and Masters in Higher Education and held a range of MPharm degree examiner and assessor roles. She has a wealth of experience in developing and delivering educational materials and training for pharmacy professionals.

Sara completed the independent prescribing qualification in 2020 and continues to maintain her practice as a pharmacist.

Sara joined RPS in 2024 as an education and training pharmacist. She leads on the development and delivery of prescribing-focussed education and training resources for pharmacists, developing a variety of resources such as e-learning, webinars and face-to-face sessions. She also leads on the support and training for designated prescribing practitioners.

Sara is passionate about supporting pharmacy professionals in prescribing roles and activities are future ready by equipping them with higher level clinical and professional skills.

Sara says: It is an exciting time for pharmacy, and as the opportunities for prescribing pharmacists expand, we are well placed to implement person-centred care and shared decision-making in our prescribing practice. I am committed to integrating these principles into our education and training resources.

Next, she moved into a Learning and Development role to design and write content for the Trainee Pharmacist Programme.

Joining the RPS in 2023 as an Education and Training Pharmacist, Rhianna is the lead for the RPS Mentoring programme, developing content to improve mentoring relationships and promote the many benefits of mentoring. She also leads on Careers Support, coordinating webinars and support material for different pharmacy settings and for members in all different stages of their careers, and supports the Foundation Training Programme when required.

Rhianna is passionate about supporting pharmacists to develop their skills and expertise to enable them to achieve their career goals. She wants to ensure all pharmacists have the support they need through mentoring.

Rhianna says: Pharmacy is rapidly changing, and I believe mentoring can have a positive impact on pharmacists in their personal and professional development to support them through these changes.

Norhan brings her digital learning expertise to support pharmacy professionals' education and development. She designs our educational experiences, develops e-Learning content, and creates innovative learning solutions for high-quality professional development.

Passionate about transforming medical knowledge into accessible learning experiences, Norhan’s commitment to healthcare education stems from a deep belief in continuous professional development, focusing on learner-centred content that addresses the evolving needs of pharmacy professionals while ensuring knowledge transfer through cutting-edge instructional design methodologies.

Norhan says: Online learning is a powerful tool for supporting pharmacists' continuous professional development, and I aim to create engaging, accessible learning experiences that help pharmacists navigate complex medical knowledge, adapt to evolving healthcare challenges, and ultimately provide exceptional patient care.

In 2020, Claire began an education role as a Tutor for Pharmacy Services, supporting Pharmacy Technicians undertaking the Pharmacy Technician apprenticeship in England. During her time here Claire completed a Teaching Development Programme as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice with Queen’s University Belfast. Claire maintains her practice as a pharmacist in community.

Claire joined the RPS in 2022 as an education and training pharmacist. She leads on the development and delivery of live learning content for members, including webinars and face to face events, in areas such as safer use of medicines, clinical updates and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). She is also responsible for overseeing learning delivery, such as the development of e-Learning modules. She also supports the development of content for the RPS Annual Conference and looks after two Professional Development programmes for pharmacists transitioning into other sectors.

Claire believes strongly that all pharmacy professionals should be supported throughout their careers, ensuring they're equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the ever-changing healthcare landscape.

Claire says: As pharmacy changes and evolves, supporting and empowering every pharmacy professional throughout their career is vital. One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to learning, so it's essential we develop new educational resources to suit individuals, and that's something I'm passionate about.

After this, she changed sector, to become an Education & Training Pharmacist at another membership organisation, where she held a range of examiner and assessor roles for Pharmacy Technician registration. She led on the Pre-registration training programme and developed skills in creating bespoke content and teaching at study days.

In 2018 Kina joined the RPS as Qualified Persons Officer and Assessment & Credentialing Pharmacist, working on RPS Advanced Practice and the Consultant Pharmacist Pathway. She also expanded her skill set, to lead on our RPS mentoring programme and manage our Expert Advisory Groups.

Today, Kina leads on our Foundation Training programme, providing year-round support to trainee pharmacists through a blended learning approach, which includes virtual classrooms, e-learning, and podcasts. She works closely with subject-matter experts and educators to produce the high quality content our members need.

As well as this, Kina leads on our student offer, working closely with the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA) to support third year MPharm students with Oriel, and collaborating with teams across the country to support the future of the profession.

Kina says: With initial education and training reforms well underway, the landscape of pharmacy is changing significantly, and it’s vital that we produce high quality content that will give trainees the skills and confidence to thrive and be prepared for practice.

She spent eight years in hospital pharmacy, gaining extensive experience across various clinical specialities. Her passion for respiratory medicine led her to specialise in this area, contributing to the prescribing support series to aid pharmacists in their practice. 

She transitioned into her RPS role as a Learning Delivery Pharmacist, where she focuses on creating engaging e-learning resources tailored to the practical needs of pharmacy professionals.

Bijal also took on the role of Teacher Practitioner at the University of Birmingham, where she led on the development of practice-based learning and assessments. Her experience in this split role further deepened her passion for both respiratory medicine and education.

With specialist interests in interstitial lung disease (ILD) and severe asthma management, Bijal is a qualified prescriber committed to enhancing patient care through education and clinical excellence. She has experience in running specialist ILD clinics.

Motivated and passionate about pharmacy education, Bijal ensures that RPS members receive valuable, accessible, and impactful education that supports their professional development.

Bijal says: "I am passionate about creating engaging e-learning that is practical and valuable for day-to-day pharmacy practice. I am keen to ensure learning is relevant for all areas of practice."