Hello, my name is Jennifer, or Jen, and I work as part of the team at Upper Eden Medical Practice as a Clinical Pharmacist. I live in Carlisle, where I often work remotely from home or Cumbria Health’s Head Office, but I travel to Kirkby Stephen once or twice a week.
I’m married with two children. My husband works in A&E in Carlisle and with the Great North Air Ambulance, so dinner table conversations tend to be medical, which bores our children, Charlie (13) and Eve (10), who have no interest in healthcare. My Weimaraner, however, listens to every word – she is the apple of my eye.
I studied Pharmacy at Robert Gordon’s University in Aberdeen and spent 20 years as a Community Pharmacy Manager with Boots and ASDA. In 2019, I left community pharmacy to work with the Integrated Care Board in a strategic role before joining Cumbria Health. I also support Alston and Glenridding Medical Practices.
At Upper Eden Medical Practice, I manage prescriptions, conduct medication reviews, handle audits and queries, and occasionally support the dispensary team. They’ve adapted well to recent changes, creating a calm and happy environment. I work with the clinicians, many of which have been at the surgery for a long time and have an incredible wealth of knowledge.
Myself and the staff in the dispensary work closely with Swee and her team at Green Tree Pharmacy. I feel we are very lucky to have such a strong partnership in delivering safe care to the Kirkby Stephen community.
Interacting with patients is the best part of my job. My areas of expertise are pain management and cholesterol. I’m passionate about making a difference—whether that’s improving understanding of medications, supporting decisions, or just being there for patients.
If you’ve spoken to me about cholesterol, you’ll know my goal is to provide clear, personalised information to help you make the best decisions. Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, moderating alcohol, reducing animal fats, and staying active (even chair yoga) can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes. However, genetics can play a larger role, and that’s where I come in.
Having experienced chronic pain during the pandemic, I understand its challenges. Pain medication doesn’t fix the root cause of pain and can mask the problem rather than solve it. Sometimes the combination of medications can do more harm than good. I aim to help patients see the bigger picture and explore alternative pain management methods. For more information, visit the "Flippin’ Pain" or "Live Well with Pain" websites.
With increasing experience and confidence, I’ve enjoyed reviewing patients on blood-thinning tablets and disease modifying drugs, ensuring they’re on the correct drug and dose, with support from the GPs. It’s been a rewarding learning curve.
Joining Upper Eden Medical Practice feels like a perfect fit. The patients are lovely, the town is beautiful, and the shops are dangerously tempting! The surgery team is very supportive and they really do care about the patients.
Thank you all for making me feel so welcome—I’m excited for the years ahead!
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