Thorrun Govind

Thorrun Govind is a British pharmacist, solicitor and broadcaster known for her contributions to the healthcare sector. In 2021, she was elected chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England. Govind is a member of the Junior Solicitors Network advisory committee.

Early life and education

Govind graduated from King's College London with a master of pharmacy degree. Undertaking professional training in Newark on Trent she registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council. She subsequently studied for a graduate diploma in law and qualifications in law, business and management at the University of Law. She is a qualified solicitor and member of the Law Society in England.

Career In 2018, Govind was nominated for the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards - Healthier Communities Award for her advocacy. In the same year Govind was named one of the Top 5 Rising Star's in Healthcare by WeAretheCity, an organisation that works with over 150 corporate organisations to attract, retain and develop female talent.

Govind was the Resident Pharmacist at BBC Radio Lancashire, on presenter John Gilmore's show.

Govind was asked to provide healthcare comment on the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlighted the challenges pharmacists and healthcare teams face. She has also spoken on a number of outlets including BBC News about the key role of pharmacists and healthcare teams in tackling vaccine hesitancy in relation to both Coronavirus and Influenza Vaccines.

In 2021 Govind spoke to Sky News about access to the contraception pill from pharmacies. She stated that 'it's absolutely right that women should be able to access contraception easily in a safe environment.' In 2022, Govind helped highlight women's health inequalities as an expert for Menopause Mandate.

In March 2023, Govind appeared on This Morning with Dr Nighat Arif following the MHRA withdrawal of a number of cough medicines containing the ingredient pholcodine in the UK.

Govind was first elected to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's English Pharmacy Board in 2018, the youngest elected board member. She was subsequently elected to chair the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's English Pharmacy Board in 2021, the youngest elected chair that the organisation has had. Her tenure as chair concluded in 2023.

In 2022, Govind became a Councillor at the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association.

Selected publications Robinson, Anna; Sile, Laura; Govind, Thorrun; Guraya, Harpreet Kaur; O'Brien, Nicola; Harris, Vicki; Pilkington, Guy; Todd, Adam; Husband, Andy (2022-04-05). "'He or she maybe doesn't know there is such a thing as a review': A qualitative investigation exploring barriers and facilitators to accessing medication reviews from the perspective of people from ethnic minority communities". Health Expectations: hex.13482. doi:10.1111/hex.13482. ISSN 1369-6513 Robinson, Anna; O'Brien, Nicola; Sile, Laura; Guraya, Harpreet K.; Govind, Thorrun; Harris, Vicki; Pilkington, Guy; Todd, Adam; Husband, Andy (2022-12). "Recommendations for community pharmacy to improve access to medication advice for people from ethnic minority communities: A qualitative person‐centred codesign study". Health Expectations. 25 (6): 3040–3052.