Ayah earned her place alongside 24 other recipients of the Pills Award for her continued advocacy of gender equity within the pharmacy profession. This advocacy includes highlighting workplace discrimination, harassment, the gender pay gap and more!
Ayah acts as a ‘big sister’ figure to pharmacists in need of support and tirelessly works to ensure that women’s voices are heard in pharmacy. Recently Ayah attended the PDA NAWP Network’s International Women’s Day event which explored the theme #AccelerateAction for gender equality and celebrated 120 years of NAWP.
Some of Ayah’s work for the PDA NAWP Network in the last year alone included attending the 18th European Women Pharmacists Meeting and raising awareness of breast cancer through Wear it Pink. This work also included launching NAWP’s Spotlight which highlights various health issues that affect women in the workplace.
Ayah said, “I’m incredibly honoured and grateful for winning the Pills 2025 Award from Chemist+Druggist for the under 35 pharmaceutical excellence that made a positive impact in pharmacy. It was a truly unforgettable moment! It was wonderful to see everyone and celebrate alongside so many inspiring individuals. Huge congratulations to all the winners!
The pharmacy world can sometimes feel lonely, so I deeply appreciate C+D bringing us all together. It was a privilege to connect with such amazing professionals. If only I could go back and tell the little girl in Year 6, who arrived in the UK with no English, that one day she’d be here!
I’m passionate about seeing pharmacists thrive in leadership and expanding roles, and it’s especially inspiring to witness more women receiving well-deserved recognition. The awards night was a moment I will cherish forever. I’m beyond thankful for the unwavering support of my husband, Hasan Lunat, and my family. A huge thank you to the PDA and the PDA NAWP Network for giving me the confidence and a platform to raise women’s voices and empower others. Thanks to all the women around me in NAWP who have always supported me, including Naina Chotai, Nicola Rees, Daniela Rusalim, Sherifat Muhammad Kamal, Lourette Philips, Oluomachi Okereke Yvonne, Wye Bing Chan, Nadira Mehjabin from NAWP and Jayne Love, PDA Lead on Equalities. When I got involved with NAWP my aim was to create a space safe for women in pharmacy and be the ‘big sister’ to pharmacists and pharmacy students in need of support. I want to make sure women’s voices are heard in pharmacy.
A heartfelt thank you to the entire C+D team for their incredible work in supporting the pharmacy profession.”
Ayah Abbass, NAWP Immediate Past President and Clinical Pharmacist
Get Involved
- Follow the PDA NAWP Network on social media using the hashtag #PDAnawp
- For more information about the PDA NAWP Network, click here.
- If you would like to get involved with the network and its activities, please email: [email protected]
Learn more
- The Pills 2025: C+D’s list of pharmaceutical excellence announced
- Celebrating 120 years of the PDA NAWP Network
- NAWP attends the 18th European Women Pharmacists Meeting
- NAWP encourages pharmacists to take part in Wear it Pink
- PDA NAWP Network launches Spotlight on Periods
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists, and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.