Mr Kirit Patel, founder and chief executive of the Day Lewis pharmacy group, celebrated the silver anniversary of his business with a dinner in London on May 25 attended by around 350 people from pharmacy organisations and suppliers.
Mr Patel and his brother Jayanti acquired their first two pharmacies on May 25, 1975. The fourth pharmacy acquired by the brothers had originally been named in honour of the Poet Laureate, Cecil Day Lewis, and this name was later used as the trading name for the group's pharmacies (PJ, January 29, p175). The group now has 55 pharmacies and four opticians in south east England.
Speaking at the dinner, Mr Wally Dove (chairman, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee) praised Mr Patel's achievements saying: "The Day Lewis story is proof of what is possible in community pharmacy." He hoped that Mr Patel would inspire the young pharmacists of today.
Mr Patel thanked those attending the dinner, singling out Mr Pritambhai Pandya, who had sold him the first pharmacies, and his personal mentor Mr Monty Cohen for acknowledgement. He thanked all the staff at his branches, who, he said, made the chain.

Kirit Patel