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Andy Charlwood — Complete Career, Skills & Portfolio Knowledge Base

Contact: andy@charlwood.xyz | https://andy.charlwood.xyz/ | LinkedIn
Location: Norfolk, England
Age: 32 (as of 2025)
Registration: GPhC Registered Pharmacist (August 2016 – Present)

Personal Summary

GPhC-registered pharmacist and self-taught data analyst/developer who combines deep clinical pharmacy expertise with advanced technical capabilities in Python, SQL, and Power BI. Currently Deputy Head of Population Health and Data Analytics at NHS Norfolk & Waveney ICB, managing analytical strategy for a £220M prescribing budget serving 1.2 million people. Has delivered £14.6M+ in documented efficiency savings through data-driven interventions.

Core value proposition: "Pharmacist who builds health tech solutions that transform care delivery at scale" — bridging two traditionally separate worlds by bringing clinical understanding of medicines and practice together with advanced analytics and automation.

Self-describes with characteristic honesty as a "bootleg data scientist" or "Temu data scientist" — no formal data qualifications, entirely self-taught during night shifts at Tesco pharmacy between 2017–2022, progressing from Excel macros to sophisticated Python applications, machine learning, and population-scale health analytics. Comfortable with "YouTube University graduate" as a title.

Career Timeline

McDonald's Corporation — Floor Manager, Crew Trainer & Crew Member

September 2009 – June 2014 | Ashford, Kent

Progressed from Crew Member to Floor Manager while completing A-levels and undergraduate pharmacy degree. Developed leadership, customer service, and operational management skills in high-pressure environment. Trained and evaluated staff performance, oversaw cash and inventory management, health and safety compliance, and operational efficiency during peak trading periods.

University of East Anglia — MPharm (2:1 Honours)

2011 – 2015

Failed pharmacy exams in years 1, 2, and 3 before completing the degree — a fact Andy is open about and uses as a powerful narrative about resilience
Independent research project on drug delivery and cocrystals: 75.1% (Distinction level)
4th year OSCE (clinical skills assessment): 80%
President, UEA Pharmacy Society (May 2014 – April 2015)
Secretary & Vice-President, UEA Ultimate Frisbee (May 2014 – April 2015)
Publicity Officer, UEA Alzheimer's Society (May 2013 – April 2014)

A-Levels (Highworth Grammar School, 2009–2011): Mathematics (A*), Chemistry (B), Politics (C)

Paydens Pharmacy — Pre-Registration Pharmacist

July 2015 – July 2016 | Tunbridge Wells & Ashford, Kent

Completed professional training in challenging, service-rich environment, taking on advanced responsibilities beyond typical pre-registration scope.

Led initiation of Patient Group Directions (PGDs) including NRT, emergency hormonal contraception, and chlamydia screening/treatment services
Conducted comprehensive NMS audit, increasing completion rates from under 10% to 50–60% of target through process improvement
Provided clinical screening services for palliative care hospice — complex patient care and end-of-life medication management experience
Developed understanding of wholesale procedures, regulatory compliance, and pharmacy business operations

Tesco PLC — Duty Pharmacy Manager → Pharmacy Manager

August 2016 – May 2022 | Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Duty Pharmacy Manager (August 2016 – October 2017): Progressed from newly qualified pharmacist to Acting Pharmacy Manager within two months. Co-led regional initiatives for NMS and asthma referrals, developing resources supporting service provision across the region.

Pharmacy Manager (November 2017 – May 2022): Managed all pharmacy operations with full autonomy. Served as Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) representative supporting Norfolk's community pharmacy sector.

Key achievements:

National asthma screening solution: Designed quality payments solution for asthma patient screening implemented nationally across Tesco's entire pharmacy estate — saving 30–60 minutes daily per pharmacy and generating approximately £1M potential revenue
National training: Created induction training plan and eLearning modules for all new Tesco pharmacy staff nationally, with enhanced focus on culture and leadership development for non-pharmacist team members
Regional NMS leadership: Led KPI delivery initiatives including New Medication Service (NMS), achieving target performance and developing implementation resources adopted across 39 pharmacies in the region
System integration: Established collaborative working relationships with local PCN and ICS partners, creating agreed protocols for managing medicine supply issues affecting patient care
Staff development: Supervised two staff members through NVQ3 qualifications to pharmacy technician registration
Operational management: Maintained 100-hour contractual requirements through effective locum management. Managed full employee lifecycle including rotas, recruitment, performance management, disciplinaries, and grievances

This is where coding was learned. During night shifts and quiet periods at Tesco (2017–2022), Andy taught himself to code:

Started with Excel macros to automate repetitive pharmacy tasks
Progressed to VBA for more complex automation
Moved to Python through online tutorials and real-world pharmacy problems
Built projects including financial modelling (Black-Scholes options pricing, gamma mapping from options open interest)
Learned SQL once he gained access to NHS databases
Daily practice of 30–60 minutes most evenings for approximately 5 years
Resources: Stack Overflow, Python documentation, YouTube — entirely self-directed

NHS Leadership Academy — Mary Seacole Programme (78%) | April – October 2018: Formal NHS leadership qualification providing theoretical grounding in healthcare leadership approaches, change management, and system-level thinking.

NHS Norfolk & Waveney ICB — Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist (High Cost Drugs)

May 2022 – July 2024 | Norwich, Norfolk

Hired for clinical skills, not data — but quickly demonstrated what data analysis could do for the team. This role was the bridge between community pharmacy and data leadership.

Key achievements:

Blueteq automation: Developed software automating Blueteq prior approval form creation, achieving 70% reduction in required forms whilst saving 30 hours monthly (200 hours immediate savings, 7–8 hours ongoing weekly efficiency gains)
Blueteq data integration: Integrated Blueteq data with secondary care databases, enabling accurate high-cost drug spend tracking and pathway compliance monitoring for the first time across the system
Clinical pathway development: Created evidence-based clinical pathways for multiple therapeutic areas:
- Rheumatology
- Ophthalmology (wet AMD, DMO, RVO)
- Gastroenterology (IBD)
- Migraine management (co-written with neurology consultant, implemented system-wide across all GPs and trusts)
Sankey chart patient flow analysis: Developed Python-based Sankey chart analysis tool visualising patient journeys through high-cost drug pathways. Enabled trusts to audit compliance, identify improvement opportunities, and understand flow through complex treatment pathways visually
ADHD medication shortage: Provided strategic guidance during critical period, including primary care prescribing recommendations during ADHD medication shortage in partnership with Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT)

Technical environment: Python, Blueteq platform, NHS data systems, secondary care activity databases, pathway development and visualisation tools

NHS Norfolk & Waveney ICB — Deputy Head of Population Health & Data Analytics

July 2024 – Present | Norwich, Norfolk

Interim Head of Population Health & Data Analytics (May 2025 – September 2025): Served as acting head with direct accountability to Chief Pharmacist and presentation responsibilities to Chief Medical Director, following previous head's departure. Delivered exceptional results during organisational transition.

Leading data analytics strategy for medicines optimisation across Norfolk & Waveney's population of over 1.2 million people.

Key Projects & Achievements (Current Role)

Cost Optimisation Algorithm (Biggest Achievement)

Problem: Finding cost-effective medicine switches took months of manual work
Solution: Built Python algorithm that ingests 6 months of prescribing data, identifies products with same VMP (Virtual Medicinal Product), finds cheapest alternatives, extrapolates annual savings, and prioritises items for system-wide switches
Technical approach: Uses dm+d (Dictionary of Medicines and Devices) schema to group therapeutically equivalent products by ingredient, route, and form, then calculates cost-per-unit differentials
Results:
- Process reduced from months to 3 days for initial list generation
- Identified £2.8M annual savings potential across 14,000 patients (~£200 average per patient)
- Achieved 50% reduction in targeted prescribing within two months of deployment
- Dashboard focuses on low-risk, cost-effective switches (essentially identical generic medicines under different brands) — high impact, low effort

QIPP Efficiency Target Delivery

£14.6M+ efficiency opportunities identified by October 2025, exceeding QIPP target
Budget of £220M prescribing managed — currently under budget
Additional savings anticipated from dapagliflozin patent expiration
Historic invoice backlog fully cleared — reduced from over 500 invoices dating from 2019

Opioid Monitoring Dashboard

System-wide dashboard converting all opioid prescriptions to oral morphine equivalents (OME)
Deployed across Norfolk & Waveney for patient safety
Identifies high-risk patients and potential medication diversion
Patient-level analysis showing prescribers, dispensing pharmacies, and patterns
Connected to published evaluation research: system-wide opioid deprescribing intervention demonstrated 18.3% decrease in high-dose opioids (vs 6.9% national average) and 9.2% decrease in total opioid prescribing (vs 4% national average)
Working with Professor Debi Bhattacharya and data scientist Adam on difference-in-differences evaluation methodology for academic publication

Prescribing Incentive Scheme (Novel Design)

Transformed approach from single-target thresholds to flexible points-based system
Practices can target multiple indicators simultaneously
Novel mechanism allowing "overflow" points for priority switches
Patient-level tracking: one patient de-prescribed = one point
Indicators include: PPIs in children, pericyazine deprescribing, antipsychotics in dementia, anticholinergic burden reduction, iron supplementation, opioid deprescribing
Automated incentive scheme analysis: reduced months of manual work to 3 days
Created patient-level searches to centrally track GP data for incentive measures

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Implementation

Comprehensive analytical support for tirzepatide implementation following NICE TA1026
Monte Carlo modelling for financial projections with Dirichlet distributions for dose uncertainty
Predictive analytics for demand forecasting
Detailed cohort analysis
GP survey data analysis (~70 responses) informing capacity planning
Local Enhanced Service (LES) model development for primary care delivery
Risk register management and executive-level briefings
Cross-ICB collaboration with SNEE ICB to validate methodologies

DOAC Financial Modelling & Pharma Negotiation

Created interactive DOAC switching scenario modeller for executive stakeholders
Modelled complex rebate scheme with Daiichi Sankyo for edoxaban
Led pharmaceutical company negotiations, using market share leverage to secure rebate extension
Successfully negotiated rebate extension for merged ICB system (Norfolk & Suffolk)
Built financial dashboard showing switching scenarios, rebate thresholds, and break-even analysis

Polypharmacy Prescribing Dashboard

Indicators: average active ingredients, distinct medicines, oral morphine equivalent (90 days), anticholinergic burden score, Johns Hopkins emergency admission risk (12m), inpatient admission risk (6m), mortality risk score
Person Need Cluster and Healthcare Resource groupings
Population-level and practice-level views

Data Infrastructure Transformation

Led team transition from practice-level EPACT data to patient-level SQL-based analytics
Created self-serve data model empowering medicines optimisation colleagues
Developed comprehensive medicines data infrastructure integrating all dm+d products with:
- Standardised strength calculations
- Morphine equivalent conversions
- Anticholinergic Burden scoring
- Single source of truth for all medicines analytics across the ICS
Direct access to ICB databases (Snowflake) — unusual for a pharmacy role
Integration of multiple data sources: ePACT2, OpenPrescribing, Eclipse, Fingertips, ICB data warehouse, Blueteq, secondary care activity data

AI/LLM Work

Fine-tuned an 11B parameter LLM to decode free-text prescription directions into daily quantities
Converts directions like "take two tablets three times a day" into structured data
Enables identification of overprescribing patterns and potential controlled drug misuse
Auto-updating analysis identifying patients with high oral morphine equivalent across multiple prescribers/pharmacies
Explored Claude agents for clinical pharmacy review at scale
Researched pharmacogenomics applications — using medication persistence patterns as proxies for pharmacogenomic variants (CYP2D6, CYP2C19 etc.)
Investigated prescribing cascades in PGx-actionable medications

Community Pharmacy Innovation

Researched PGD (Patient Group Directive) framework for community pharmacy-led DOAC switching
Designed payment model: £20 per pharmacist consultation, £5 GP admin fee
Legal analysis concluded pharmacist independent prescriber model is legally safer than PGD route
Exploring community pharmacy services for compliance aids, Norfolk Medicine Support Service

ICB Merger Preparations

Preparing for Norfolk & Waveney merger with Suffolk (SNEE ICB) from April 2026
Leading formulary alignment work between systems
Coordinating Blueteq alignment across ICB borders
Comparing incentive schemes and metrics between Norfolk and Suffolk
High-cost drug pathway harmonisation
Using AI tools (Copilot) to compare policy differences between systems

Other Notable Work

Antimicrobial stewardship work and audits at system level
Core20PLUS5 targeted interventions (health inequalities)
Patient adherence indicators development
Clinical pathway indicators implementation
TAG (Technology Appraisal Guidance) document generation automation using VBA
Supporting NICE Technology Appraisal implementation across the system
Horizon scanning for new medicines and upcoming patent expiries

Technical Skills

Programming & Data

Python (primary language, ~6–7 years): pandas, numpy, matplotlib, data analysis, algorithm development, automation, machine learning, API integration, financial modelling
SQL (daily use, possibly more than Python now): Snowflake, NHS databases, complex joins, CTEs, window functions
Power BI: Dashboard development, DAX measures, interactive reporting
Excel/VBA (advanced): Pivot tables, macros, automation, interactive workbooks
JavaScript/TypeScript (hobby level): Web development, personal website
DuckDB: Local data warehousing experiments

Machine Learning & AI

Fine-tuned LLMs (11B parameter model for prescription direction parsing)
Monte Carlo simulation modelling
Predictive analytics and demand forecasting
Black-Scholes options pricing models
Gamma mapping from options open interest
Experience with cloud GPU (A100) for model deployment
3D medical imaging AI model deployment (experimental)

Healthcare Data Systems

dm+d (Dictionary of Medicines and Devices) — deep schema knowledge (VTM, VMP, VMPP, AMP, AMPP hierarchies)
Blueteq (prior approval system)
ePACT2 (NHS BSA prescribing data)
OpenPrescribing
Eclipse
Fingertips (population health indicators)
NHS BSA prescribing datasets
Secondary care activity data
Johns Hopkins ACG system (risk stratification)
Patient-level prescribing and dispensing data

Tools & Platforms

Jupyter Notebooks / DataSpell
Git
Home Assistant (extensive home automation)
Unraid server administration
ESPHome / ESP32 firmware
3D printing (Bambu Lab printers, PETG, ASA materials)
Claude Code (command line agentic coding)

Certifications

GPhC Registered Pharmacist (August 2016 – Present)
Snowflake: Hands-On Essentials — Data Warehousing Workshop
NHS Leadership Academy: Mary Seacole Programme (78%, 2018)
No formal data science qualifications — entirely self-taught

Daily Work Breakdown

Typical week splits roughly:

~40% meetings and strategy: Stakeholder engagement, national/regional calls, working with colleagues on projects, supporting decisions with data, understanding the current climate and opportunities for collaboration across medicines optimisation teams
~40% coding and analysis: Writing Python scripts, SQL queries, building Power BI dashboards, curating insights for stakeholders in a way they will listen to
~20% problem-solving: Figuring out how to solve problems, navigating challenges, political landscape

Key insight: "curating insights in a way where stakeholders will listen" — the communication/political piece is as important as the technical work.

Speaking & Public Engagement

UEA "Careers in Data" Panel (November 2025)

Guest panelist at University of East Anglia
Spoke about journey from self-taught coding to NHS data leadership
Audience: current UEA students interested in data careers
Unique positioning: only panelist combining clinical healthcare with self-taught data skills
Key messages delivered: you don't need a CS degree, build real things that solve real problems, domain expertise + coding > pure technical skills

UEA "Inspirational Roles in Pharmacy" Presentation (September 2025)

Invited back to alma mater for 10–15 minute presentation on non-traditional pharmacy career
Presented to first-year pharmacy students
Focused on demonstrating unconventional career paths within pharmacy

Career Goals & Transition Strategy

Current Direction

Actively exploring transition from NHS to private sector, targeting pharmaceutical, health-tech, and consulting companies. Recognises that private sector organisations are more likely to use external recruiters than NHS roles.

Target Roles

Senior Manager / Associate Director level (considers Director/Head titles premature at 32 without private sector experience)
Medical Affairs
Market Access
Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR)
Healthcare IT Consulting / Principal Consultant
Real-World Evidence analysis
Digital Health Product Management
Population Health Strategy

Positioning

"Pharmacist who builds health tech solutions" — NOT "pharmacist trying to transition into tech"
Core differentiator: clinical domain expertise + technical capability + strategic leadership at scale
NHS language translation needed: "Deputy Head of Population Health and Data Analytics" maps to "Senior Manager, HEOR" or "Principal Consultant, Population Health Strategy" in private sector terms
UK professional communication values evidence-based understatement over American-style self-promotion

Contacts & Network

Connection at Prescribing Services (established contact)
Guest panelist alongside data professionals from Aviva, UEA bioinformatics, and social impact data roles
LPC representative experience (community pharmacy sector network)
Cross-ICB relationships (Suffolk/SNEE colleagues)

Education Summary

Qualification	Institution	Date	Grade/Notes
MPharm (Hons)	University of East Anglia	2011–2015	2:1. Research project: 75.1% (Distinction). OSCE: 80%. Failed exams years 1–3
A-Levels	Highworth Grammar School	2009–2011	Maths (A*), Chemistry (B), Politics (C)
Mary Seacole Programme	NHS Leadership Academy	Apr–Oct 2018	78%
Snowflake Badge	Snowflake	—	Hands-On Essentials: Data Warehousing

Personal Interests & Technical Hobbies

Home automation: Extensive Home Assistant setup, multiple Raspberry Pis, ESP32 microcontrollers, ESPHome firmware
Unraid server: Running home server infrastructure
3D printing: Bambu Lab printers, PETG and ASA materials, designing enclosures for electronics projects
Electronics: ESP32 projects including environmental monitoring (BME280/BME680), presence detection (LD2410 mmWave), e-ink displays. Planned greenhouse automation project (soil moisture sensors, automated watering)
LED neon projects: WS2811 neon rope LEDs (108 LEDs/meter, 2x 5m sets), 4-way LED controller, 24V 15A power supply
Financial markets: Built Black-Scholes options pricing and gamma mapping tools — first major Python project
Photography: Listed as personal interest
Father: Married with young children, values work-life balance

Key Quantified Metrics (Portfolio Highlights)

Metric	Value
Efficiency savings identified	£14.6M+ (by October 2025)
Prescribing budget managed	£220M annual
Population served	1.2 million
Cost optimisation algorithm savings	£2.8M potential across 14,000 patients
Prescribing reduction (targeted areas)	50% within 2 months
Blueteq form reduction	70%
Time saved (Blueteq automation)	200 hours immediately + 30 hours/month ongoing
Time saved (incentive analysis)	Months → 3 days per cycle
National pharmacy solution revenue	~£1M potential across Tesco estate
NMS completion rate improvement	Under 10% → 50–60%
Opioid prescribing reduction (NW vs national)	18.3% vs 6.9% (high-dose)
Invoice backlog cleared	500+ invoices from 2019 → current

Philosophy & Approach

On Data-Driven Healthcare

"What is the question you want answered?" — Andy's framing for colleagues. Not "what's going on with this drug?" but specific, targeted questions that allow data to provide actionable insight rather than vague trends.

On the Clinical-Technical Bridge

"The skills gap in healthcare isn't just technical people or just clinical people — it's people who can speak both languages. That gap is your opportunity."

On Population vs Individual Impact

"As a community pharmacist, we would dispense 6,000 items a month to probably 3,000 patients. I had lovely relationships with patients — I've cried with patients when their significant others died. But the population of our system is 1.1–1.2 million people. Being able to directly target 50,000 people — if you can incentivise GPs to do a single piece of work cost-effectively that prevents even some of them from having a fall and going to A&E with a broken hip — you can't see that direct impact, but I know it's making a difference."

On Self-Teaching

"Don't wait for the perfect course. Find something that annoys you, break it down into steps, Google each step. Your first code will be bad. That's fine — mine was awful."

On Communication

"I spend more time in PowerPoint than Python — that's not taught but it's critical." Analysis is worthless if no one understands it.

Website Structure Recommendations (From Previous Discussions)

Current Site

andy.charlwood.xyz — single-page design, personal voice, clean domain
Includes LinkedIn links, downloadable CV
Currently structured more as narrative CV than portfolio

Recommended Restructure

Hero section (20 seconds to hook) — name, role, value proposition
Featured projects (the differentiator — should be immediately visible)
Technical skills (prove capability)
Abbreviated career highlights
Contact/links

Priority Projects for Case Studies

Cost optimisation algorithm (£2.8M savings, 50% reduction in 2 months)
Opioid monitoring dashboard (patient safety, system-wide)
Tirzepatide Monte Carlo modelling (financial risk, executive decision-making)
DOAC switching scenario modeller (interactive tool for executives)
Prescribing incentive scheme (novel design, patient-level tracking)

Organisational Context

Norfolk & Waveney ICB Structure

Part of NHS Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board
Medicines optimisation team sits within broader ICS structure
Population health pillar looks 2–5 years ahead to understand risks and posture the system
BI team exists separately but historically poor collaboration with medicines optimisation
Andy has unusual direct access to ICB databases — typically pharmacy roles don't have this

ICB Merger (April 2026)

Norfolk & Waveney merging with Suffolk (from SNEE ICB)
New system will include: NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk (06L), NHS West Suffolk (07K), NHS Norfolk and Waveney (26A)
North East Essex (06T) joining Essex ICB
Significant alignment work ongoing: formularies, incentive schemes, Blueteq, pathways, policies

Organisational Challenges

Model ICB Blueprint indicates medicines optimisation marked for "review for transfer" to providers
Data function deprioritised during ICB merger preparations
Team morale affected by organisational restructuring
Previous head departed end of 2024, creating leadership gap Andy filled as interim

This document compiled from conversations spanning March 2024 – February 2026. Intended as a comprehensive knowledge base for portfolio website development.

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