CIG is pleased to offer a warm welcome to Lesley Johnson as she rejoins the company. As Head of Pharmacy Practice, Lesley will apply her wealth of expertise to the direction and provision of education and training for pharmacists.

Lesley is a community pharmacist with a long-standing passion for educating pharmacists and support staff. She has 15 years’ experience in this area, having held positions with the NPA, CIG and most recently the RPS, where she spent two years heading up the RPS Faculty, a new professional recognition programme. Meeting the learning and development needs of the pharmacy profession has been at the core of each of these roles.

Speaking of her work on the RPS Faculty and of her goals with CIG, Lesley comments:

“The RPS project was an excellent opportunity for me to work with pharmacists across the profession, not just the community sector. It has enhanced my own professional development and helped me better understand the training needs and issues of my colleagues in other areas of pharmacy – hospital, industry, academia and primary care. I have realised that, regardless of the sector, the fundamental learning and development needs are very similar.

“Now that I’m back at CIG, I feel I can bring a unique viewpoint to the table. There is a need for pharmacists to recognise where they are in terms of the development of their behaviours, knowledge and skills, and this is an area in which I can assist them. I aim to help pharmacists undertake continued development to provide evidence of capability and effectiveness to patients, the public, employers and commissioners. This is a big but exciting challenge!”