By Neil Trainis

Community Pharmacy England has clarified that Tricia Kennerley, one of nine Company Chemists’ Association representatives on its committee, is a specialist pharmacy affairs advisor at Boots having erroneously published her role as international public affairs lead for Walgreens Boots Alliance.

CPE made the correction to Kennerley’s bio on the ‘committee’ section of its website after Independent Community Pharmacist reminded pharmacy’s negotiator that Kennerley (pictured) retired from her public affairs role in September last year.

She also sits on the board of the CCA who also say on its website that “today she leads the international public affairs function for WBA” despite her departure from that post. Her public affairs brief was taken on by Boots UK’s then chief pharmacist Marc Donovan.

Kennerley’s new role at Boots raises questions about the legitimacy of having an advisor on CPE’s committee, which discusses contractual issues impacting community pharmacy such as funding and services.

When asked why it put Kennerley forward as one of its members on CPE’s committee given her retirement from her public affairs role, the CCA told ICP: "Tricia is a director of the CCA and the CCA can appoint nine registered pharmacists to the committee of Community Pharmacy England. We can confirm she is an independent specialist pharmacy affairs advisor at Boots and she sits on CPE’s committee because we appointed her."

The updated portion of Kennerley’s bio on the CPE website reads: “Since retiring in September 2022, Tricia became an independent specialist pharmacy affairs advisor and in this capacity is representing Boots on Community Pharmacy England and the board of the Company Chemists’ Association.”