Abbas Kanani, Portsmouth alumnus and Founder of Chemist Click, shares his advice on how to invest time into your passions
British Science Week is back for 2024 with the theme of time. This also means it’s that time of year when we bring you a story of a remarkable graduate thriving in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field.
Abbas Kanani, MPharm (Hons) Pharmacy graduate, applied to university at 17. Like many others at that age, he was figuring out what his passions were and what truly sparked his interest.
He felt as though he hadn’t racked up enough life experience to know what his passions were but the idea of a job helping people and making a difference sparked his interest. As there was a recession at the time, the thought of job security was also appealing.
Abbas says: ‘Finding your passion is not always easy, but once you do, take notice because it can be very rewarding.’
Life after Portsmouth
This realisation of wanting to help people led to him applying to the University of Portsmouth. Fast forward to 2012 when Abbas graduated as a pharmacist.
‘I found myself at University. They were pivotal years of investment towards my passions for science, helping people and business.
Investment comes in many forms, this can be with your time, energy, or money. You get a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you give this time and effort to develop your skills and knowledge.’
After the University of Portsmouth, Abbas spent the first three years of his career working for high-street pharmacies including Superdrug and Lloyds. These roles led to a senior management role with the largest multinational pharmacy in the UK, Boots.
In 2017, he qualified as an independent prescriber, spending time working in a primary care setting. He then assumed a consulting role within the NHS, providing advisory services on cost savings and clinical efficiencies. This career move led him to strengthen various skills which he later invested into starting his own business.
‘I find a lot of fulfilment in making a positive impact. Since qualifying, there has been a lot of progress and movement within the pharmacy sector, like the expanding role of the independent pharmacist which allows pharmacists to be able to prescribe medication.
More recently, there has also been the introduction of the Pharmacy First scheme. This allows patients to get triaged by walking into a pharmacy and being prescribed medication on the spot, should the need be, without seeing a doctor.
Ultimately, this does mean more reliance on pharmacists and we are starting to play a more pivotal role in primary care.’
When you're passionate about something, you'll more likely want to invest in it.
Chemist Click
In 2018, Abbas founded Chemist Click, an award-winning UK online pharmacy which offers a range of treatments at lower prices without subscriptions and has played an integral role within the team ever since.
‘Caring for others has always been close to my heart, and now I've been fortunate enough to extend that care to a broader audience.
Nothing could prepare me for starting my own business. I never really felt as though I fit into society and I didn’t ever really feel happy because of this. University gave me the foundation and grounding which gave me the confidence to do what I want.
It took some time to strategise and plan how to launch, which involved both financial and time investments. However, the effort paid off, and we've been able to positively impact hundreds of thousands of people nationwide.
We aim to provide a healthcare service that is both affordable and accessible. At Chemist Click, we work together with our patients to come to a joint decision about their treatment, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health.
When you're passionate about something, you'll more likely want to invest in it.’
Time to invest in yourself
Investing, in whichever way you choose, can help to make your life more interesting and leave you feeling fulfilled. Events such as British Science Week are ideal opportunities to discover and hone in on your passions, develop new connections and make use of the array of resources and activities available to you.
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to pursuing your passion – you should do what is best for you and what makes you happy.
‘Considering you'll be dedicating a significant portion of your life to work, it's worth seeking out something you genuinely enjoy.
It's perfectly fine if your passion doesn't align directly with your job. The key is finding that balance because, at the end of the day, your happiness is what matters most.’
To find out more about British Science Week, click here.
Or to find out more about Chemist Click, visit their website here.