My Story

I’m Zack, a GPhC-registered Clinical Pharmacist and independent prescriber based in Derby, and the face behind Ph. For the last several years I’ve worked in NHS general practice, sitting in the thick of real life health problems rather than textbook cases. Day after day I was seeing the same pattern: weight, hormones, stress and cardiometabolic health all colliding in one person, in one ten minute slot that was never quite long enough.

I loved the clinical side of my work, especially diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and kidney health, but it started to feel like I was always firefighting. Ticking boxes. Squeezing complex conversations into short appointments. Watching people bounce between services, never really getting the time or joined-up support they needed.

As a pharmacist, I could see another layer too. I was reviewing long prescription lists, older meds that were no longer the best option, GLP-1s and SGLT2s used cautiously or not at all because of NHS restrictions, and women struggling with menopause symptoms who were still not sure if HRT was “for them”. It felt like there was a gap between what the evidence said we could do and what people were actually experiencing in the system.

That gap is where Ph. was born.

Rather than opening “just another clinic”, I wanted to build something very specific. A pharmacist-led health studio that sits at the crossroads of weight, hormones and heart health. A place where we can take the time to look at bloods, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk, medicines and lifestyle together, and then make decisions that genuinely fit your life.

My clinical passions are safe, effective weight loss and menopause care. I prescribe weight loss injectables like GLP-1 and GIP agonists where they are appropriate, but I am honest that they are tools, not magic. The same goes for HRT, testosterone for low libido where clinically suitable, and newer cardiometabolic medicines. Used properly, with good monitoring and realistic lifestyle support, these treatments can be life changing. Used in isolation, without follow up, they can feel like yet another quick fix.

At Ph. I wanted to do it differently. Longer appointments. Space to talk about what is really going on. Time to explain blood results in plain language. The option to use modern tools like continuous glucose monitoring, home blood pressure logging and digital tracking so you can actually see changes under the surface, not just on the scales.

I also wanted it to feel human. Not a conveyor belt, not a rushed prescription, not a lecture about willpower. Just a calm, clinically grounded space where you can ask questions, be honest about your habits and worries, and work with someone who understands both the science and the reality of day to day life.

Ph. is the result of everything I have seen in NHS general practice, mixed with everything I wished I could do for people when the clock ran out. It is built on the same foundations as my work in GP surgeries evidence based prescribing, safety, clear documentation and good communication but with the freedom to take the extra steps that are often impossible in a standard appointment.

If you come to see me, you are not starting from scratch. We build on what you already have your NHS records, your past treatments, your experiences and use that as a base to move forward. My goal is simple. For you to walk away feeling listened to, clearer about your options and with a plan that makes sense for your body, your hormones and your long term health, not just the next few weeks.

That is my story. Ph. exists so your story with your health can start to change.