Dr Graham Stretch trained as a Pharmacist at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, qualifying in 1993. He subsequently worked at Liverpool School of Medicine on the pharmacokinetics of mesalazine in Ulcerative Colitis. His PhD at the Pharmacy and Medical Schools in Manchester examined the absorption of cardiac and antiviral drugs. His postdoctoral research/teaching fellowship focused on the pharmacokinetics of HIV, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine drugs, and antioxidants in olives at the School of Pharmacy, Adelaide, Australia.
On returning to the UK in 2000, Dr Graham Stretch returned to primary care practice in Ealing, London where he developed a special interest in Elderly Care. Working jointly with general practitioners, he developed integrated working to improve care in nursing homes and undertook consultancy work on behalf of Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group.
In 2010, Dr Graham Stretch became a General Practice Pharmacist and is now Director of a group practice and Director and Prescribing Lead of a pharmacy team supporting twelve GP practices and 23 nursing homes around Ealing. He has overarching responsibilities for safe prescribing for more than 75,000 NHS patients and 1,200 nursing home patients. Hs is Lead Pharmacist for Ealing GP Federation, coordinating their successful Phase one and Phase two bids for the NHSE Pharmacists in GP programme. He was on the reference group and is a Clinical Mentor for the CPPE GPPTP pathway.
Dr Graham Stretch is a Clinical Director of Brentworth PCN, a Primary Care Network in Hounslow, London, which aims to improve people’s health by seeking to work together with healthcare providers, the voluntary sector, social care and patient groups. He is Chief Pharmacist at Argyle Health Group, which provides General Practice, Nursing Home, Pharmacy and Phlebotomy services in West London. He is also President of the PCPA, an association of thousands of pharmacy professionals working in primary care. Dr Graham Stretch was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in 2017 and named ‘Pharmacist of the Year’ at the 2017 GP Awards.