A superintendent pharmacist has been awarded the ‘Freedom of the City of London’ for his services to pharmacy throughout his distinguished career.

Sultan ‘Sid’ Dajani was nominated by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, a livery company that has been around since 1617 and derives its membership from the medical and pharmacy professions.

Read more: Trainee pharmacist wins award for mental health project

Dajani attended a ceremony in the Chamberlain’s Court at Guildhall on September 20 to receive his award.

Gathered with friends and family before entering the ceremony alone, he then signed the Freeman’s Declaration Book and next September he will take part in a ceremonial walk over London Bridge as part of the award.

“You swear an allegiance, you say a few words, and then you’re accepted,” Dajani says.

A freeman is someone who “enjoyed privileges such as the right to earn money and own land” and from the Middle Ages it also meant having the “right” to “trade in the Square Mile”.

Read more: Family-run NI pharmacy wins lifetime business award

Dajani was surprised to be nominated as people are not put “through lightly” and “although it doesn’t bring you any privileges or any accolades as such, it’s still a very time-honoured tradition that you’re proud to be a part of”.

He was nominated into the livery and has been a member for seven years. He says his involvement revolves around “your standing, what you do above and beyond in your day-to-day. When you join these things, the aim is to be involved in charity, education and other social endeavours.”

"Extremely humbling"

Before he passed away this year, fellow society member Dr John Jolley nominated him for the freeman award. Dajani felt it was a “very poignant, bittersweet moment” when he received it.

He is one of a handful of people around the world to earn the freeman title. “It’s not lost to me there’s only 2000 of us and some of those people are notable that have changed history for the better,” he says.

Read more: Ex-pharmacist wins best pub award after career change

Royal family members, prime ministers, and international leaders such as Nelson Mandela have also received the honour, and Dajani said “to be noted with other leading lights that we read about in history books, it's just shocking”.

“The likes of the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill... it’s extremely humbling to be in that sort of company. It just doesn't sink in. It's amazing, and I am chuffed to bits with it.”

He believes part of his nomination has been because he’s been “going the extra mile for patients”, mostly at the pharmacy Wainwrights Chemist he runs.

He volunteered during the COVID-19 pandemic where he did 5000 vaccinations free of charge over weekends and days off.

Read more: Aston uni pharmacy team win HE award

“I helped develop and open clinics. I was the clinical lead in some of the clinics across four sites, and I kept vaccinating and volunteering until last year.”

“The main career highlight that I have more than anything else, is the other day we stopped a patient committing suicide. We spent an hour and a half talking to him, we ended up calling a family member to come, and this person was crying and threatening to commit suicide. 

“Every difference you make to a patient is a career highlight, whether you're clearing out their ears and suddenly feeling more better, right through to the more serious of suicide for example.”

Read more: Pharmacist nominated for NHS lifetime achievement award

Dajani’s work goes beyond just the day-to-day life of a pharmacist, as he has appeared on TV a few times for news items as well as on the show ‘Save Money: Good Health’.

He has had “over 400 articles published” on pharmacy during his career, including many for C+D, as well as previously being the treasurer of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

"Community pharmacy not for the faint hearted"

Dajani feels his achievements stand in greater stead amid the current struggles facing community pharmacy, as he shared his concerns about its future.

“Just surviving another day is an achievement in itself these days in community pharmacy. It’s hard work. We are working with one arm tied behind our back.

Read more: Kids win Well Pharmacy poster competition

“The fact that the new contract hasn't been negotiated, therefore we're losing money. Profits are down everywhere. It's getting harder to manage and motivate and inspire staff to carry on.

“There are a lot of people out there that do not understand community pharmacy, that are making the rules for us, and that is where you have a big reality gap developing.

“We still need things like the protected learning time, finances, help with staff training. It's a very demoralised profession at the moment, even if the job itself is very rewarding.

Read more: Pharmacist wins Prix Galien award 'equivalent to Nobel Prize’

“It's been on my mind the last year or two about retiring because it's just becoming an impossible workload. Community pharmacy is not for the faint hearted.”

Dajani has won other awards such as the Attitude for Gratitude award in December 2023 for his community work, a Pride of Andover award celebrating unsung heroes too, and the Editor’s Choice award for a Woman’s Weekly competition in 2014 celebrating Britain’s best pharmacists.