A pharmacist who has owned a community pharmacy in London for nearly 60 years has been recognised in the King’s New Year’s Honours List.

Alan Kurtz, who bought Fishers Chemist in South Norwood in June 1966, received a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to community pharmacy.

His pharmacy won the Pharmacy Team of the Year award at the 2016 Independent Pharmacy Awards having impressed the judges with the way it looked after its patients.

Another pharmacist, Laura Catherine McIver, who was the chief pharmacist at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, was awarded a CBE for her services to the pharmacy profession and patient safety.

Meanwhile, the Proprietary Association of Great Britain chief executive Michelle Riddalls was awarded an OBE for her services to consumer health.

In a statement, the PAGB said she had “diligently supported the Government during Brexit” and helped ensure continued access to over-the-counter medicines in Northern Ireland.

The PAGB also said Riddalls had been at the “forefront of advocating self-care across the UK” which led to the publication of a national self-care policy in May 2023.

“Michelle was pivotal in supporting PAGB members, by helping companies navigate regulatory complexities and providing simplified overviews and solutions to meet their compliance obligations,” the PAGB said.

Insisting she was “truly humbled and thrilled” with her award, Riddalls said: “Contributing to the self-care agenda and the role played by increased availability of over-the-counter medicines in self-care gives me a personal sense of satisfaction and benefits consumers, GP practices and community pharmacy as well as the OTC medicines industry.”

Finally, long-standing non-executive board member at Alliance Healthcare, Chris Martin, was awarded an OBE for distinguished service to the maritime and the port sector. Martin is a former chair of the Port of Milford Haven.

Having run pharmacy groups in South West England and Pembrokeshire, he has taken on a variety of leadership roles across the pharmacy and healthcare sectors including chair of the delivery board for Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales, an advisory board member for Health and Care Research Wales, chair of Life Sciences Hub Wales and board trustee of Marie Curie UK.

Martin commented: “I am thrilled, honoured and humbled to have been awarded [the] OBE ... I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing family, friends and numerous colleagues across the private, public and charitable sectors who have encouraged me to try and make a difference every day and give something back to our wider community.”