Published on: 23 September 2025
To celebrate World Pharmacists Day, we’re proud to introduce two members of our pharmacy team at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT). Lindes Callejas-Diaz and Dan Harrison share insights into their roles, what inspired their careers, and more.
Dan Harrison - Pharmacist – Hospital at Home & Community Team
Tell us a bit about your current role and what you enjoy most about it.
My name is Dan, and I am a Pharmacist currently working with the Hospital at Home and Community team. What I enjoy the most is helping to lead on new and innovative projects as well as working with the fantast Hospital at Home and Recovery at Home teams.
What inspired you to become a pharmacist?
At school, I was good at science, but I didn’t want to study medicine or dentistry. I was unsure about my future career and then my neighbour offered me some work experience in a community pharmacy. I found the experience interesting and enjoyable. I could see that pharmacists had good career prospects, and I liked the balance between patient interaction and using scientific skills.
What’s one thing you’re proud of in your pharmacy career so far?
Being shortlisted for the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2025 for the trial of elastomeric pumps for the administration of IV antibiotics in the South Tyneside area. The team have worked very hard, and it was a great acknowledgement of everybody's efforts.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the role of pharmacists?
That pharmacists can play a key role of multi-disciplinary teams and are vital for any service to expand and move forward.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I have had a pint with Harry Styles.
If you weren’t a pharmacist, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
A photographer, working different types of private and sporting events.
Lindes Callejas-Diaz - Divisional Lead Pharmacist – Surgery & Theatres
Tell us a bit about your current role and what you enjoy most about it.
I am currently working as a Divisional Lead Pharmacist for surgery and theatres since October 2024. I enjoy this new role as it has allowed me to reconnect with the pharmacy department and work closely with my team implementing new ways of working and changing the direction on the team to improve our service for surgical patients.
What inspired you to become a pharmacist?
I enjoyed biology and chemistry in high school and I had very good grades in both subjects. However as many of my uncles and aunts were doctors, I thought it would be good to have a pharmacist in the family, to keep them right when it comes to medicines.
What’s one thing you’re proud of in your pharmacy career so far?
Being a pioneer in bariatric surgery since 2007 has helped me to build a regional, national and international network with other healthcare professionals and pharmacists. My passion for surgery has probably inspired and retained other colleagues who enjoy working in this division as our role is key to ensure medicines management are safe for patients admitted through pre-assessment clinics and emergency surgical admissions.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the role of pharmacists?
I wish patients and other healthcare professionals would not see pharmacists as the barrier to discharges. We are the facilitators of a safer process. Pharmacists can work as advance practitioners and being active members of MDT in many specialities amongst doctors, nurses and other professionals.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I worked as a volunteer during the summers between 2000 and 2004 in different pilgrim hostels alongside the St James's Way (Camino de Santiago) so I had to speak English with pilgrims from all over the world. So I ended up interviewing with the NHS in 2005 thanks to improving my language skills. Twenty years later I am still here.
If you weren’t a pharmacist, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
I love history so I always wanted to be an archaeologist like Indiana Jones.
