One of the defining highlights of this year’s Black Healthcare Awards, held on 12 July in London, was the announcement of Pharm. (Dr) Raliat Onatade as Pharmacist of the Year. The annual event, hosted by the Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN), shines a spotlight on the outstanding achievements of Black professionals across the UK health sector.
The Pharmacist of the Year award specifically recognises individuals in community or hospital pharmacy who have demonstrated innovation, leadership, or exceptional impact on patient care and research. Dr Onatade was commended for her phenomenal influence on pharmacy practice, medicines optimisation and healthcare policy, as well as her visionary leadership that continues to reshape the image of the profession.
Few professions demand as delicate a balance between science and compassion as pharmacy, and few practitioners embody that balance as completely as Onatade. With more than three decades of impact in clinical pharmacy, medicines governance and system transformation, she stands today as one of the most influential Black pharmacists in the UK.
Onatade currently serves as chief pharmacist (director of medicines and pharmacy) for the North East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and group chief pharmacist at Barts Health NHS Trust. She is also chief pharmacist for the North Thames Genomic Medicine Service Alliance. Across these roles, she deploys her expertise to advocate for precision medicine, drive policy innovation and champion collaborative, patient-centred healthcare.
Formative years
Born and raised in Nigeria, Dr Onatade began her professional training at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU), where she developed a rigorous scientific discipline and an ethical foundation that would shape her future career. Qualifying as a pharmacist in 1986, she began her career within the country’s healthcare system before migrating to the UK, where her diligence, intellect and compassion soon found fertile ground.
The transition demanded adaptability and courage. She had to navigate new systems, different regulations and a subtly different patient culture. Yet the same intellectual discipline and human warmth that defined her Nigerian years soon distinguished her among her British peers.
Between 1990 and 1991, Onatade pursued postgraduate training in clinical pharmacy at the University of London School of Pharmacy, immersing herself in the UK’s evolving model of pharmacist-led care. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Clinical Risk Management from University College London, and later, a Professional Doctorate (Health) in Advancing Clinical Pharmacy Practice from Middlesex University.
From her earliest years as a professional, she displayed a deep appreciation for the delicate intersection between medicines, policy and patient experience. At every stage of her development, she combined technical excellence with strategic vision, a rare dual strength that has remained the hallmark of her career.
Leadership across the NHS
Over the years, Onatade has become one of the most respected figures in British pharmacy leadership. As chief pharmacist and director of medicines optimisation at Barts Health NHS Trust, she oversees one of Europe’s largest and most diverse health networks. The role demands not only technical mastery but also the ability to shape systems, mentor teams and ensure the safe handling of millions of medication interactions each year.
Her leadership at Barts has revolutionised medicines governance and safety protocols. She has driven digital innovations that make prescribing and monitoring more efficient, expanded advanced clinical pharmacy services across specialities, and nurtured a culture that places patients at the heart of every decision. Her guiding philosophy is that pharmacy is not an adjunct to medicine but the very heartbeat of safe and effective healthcare.
As chief pharmacist for the North East London Integrated Care System, Onatade coordinates pharmaceutical services across several boroughs, developing a system-wide vision for medicines optimisation and workforce leadership. Her appointment as the UK’s first substantive ICS chief pharmacist highlights her trailblazing influence in shaping integrated care, bridging the gap between hospitals, community pharmacies and primary care.
Under her leadership, the region has implemented projects to improve medicines safety, expand electronic prescribing, and strengthen collaboration among pharmacists, doctors and nurses. Recognising the role of genetics and ethnicity in drug response, she has also championed the inclusion of diverse populations in genomic services and the integration of pharmacy expertise in precision medicine. The North Thames Genomic Medicine Service recently commended her for “raising the profile of pharmacy within genomics, including championing the role of pharmacy technicians.”
In addition to her executive roles, Onatade has served on several national advisory boards and committees. She has been a member of the Health and Social Care Committee’s Expert Panel on Pharmacy, chair of the Leadership, Policy and Professionalism Working Group of the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership, and an advisory member for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)/King’s Fund report, A Vision for Pharmacy Professional Practice in England.
Championing equity, diversity and representation
A distinguishing hallmark of Onatade’s career is her lifelong advocacy for equity, diversity and inclusion within healthcare leadership. She speaks with candour about the need for fair representation and equal opportunities across all levels of the profession.
But she does more than talk. Through mentorship, inclusive leadership initiatives and active policy engagement, she has worked to dismantle barriers that hinder Black and minority pharmacists from advancing. Her influence has inspired a new generation of pharmacists, particularly those of African and Caribbean descent, to pursue roles in clinical leadership, academia and public policy.
Her contributions extend beyond the UK. She has played a vital role in promoting collaborations between British institutions and African pharmacy schools, fostering mutual learning and capacity-building. Her career embodies the power of the diaspora to strengthen health systems both in their countries of origin and their adopted homes.
Awards and recognitions
Dr Onatade’s influence within and beyond the pharmacy profession has been recognised through numerous awards and honours. In addition to her 2025 Black Healthcare Awards recognition as Pharmacist of the Year, she has received the Clinical Pharmacy Association/GHP TEVA Leadership Award (2008); the Novartis Antimicrobial Award (2012) for improving antimicrobial prescribing through audit and feedback; the Pharmacy Management Award (2014) for best medicines optimisation in secondary care; and the Clinical Pharmacy Association Patient Safety Award (2016).
Perhaps most notably, in 2018, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), an honour reserved for professionals who have attained distinction and made enduring contributions to the advancement of Pharmacy. The fellowship reflects not only her scientific and clinical excellence but also her mentorship, advocacy for equality and unrelenting dedication to professional standards.
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