Ninety-six per cent of community pharmacists surveyed in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Workforce Wellbeing survey said they were at 'risk of burnout'.
A higher number of respondents working in community pharmacy (20%) reported not being offered breaks compared to all other sectors (8%) and were more likely to
experience verbal or physical abuse from patients and the public (69% vs an average 44%).
The annual Workforce Wellbeing survey also revealed that 88 per cent of pharmacists surveyed are at high risk of burnout due to winter pressure. Therefore, RPS is
calling for workforce planning for pharmacy to address skill mix and staffing levels so that workloads can be effectively managed.
Top factors causing poor mental health and wellbeing revealed by the survey include inadequate staffing (70%), lack of work/life balance (53%), lack of protected
learning time (48%) and lack of colleague/senior support (47%).
This is the fourth survey RPS has run in partnership with the charity Pharmacist Support on the state of mental health and wellbeing in pharmacy.
The findings demonstrate continued pressure on pharmacists and trainees across the workforce, especially in community pharmacy where 96% of those surveyed said they
were at risk of burnout.
To support the mental health and wellbeing of pharmacists, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is running its fourth annual Workforce Wellbeing survey, in
partnership with Pharmacist Support.
This year it's focussed on exploring some of the obstacles that prevent workforce wellbeing measures being implemented in practice.
It's vital that workplace supports good mental health and wellbeing and provides the right environment to help prevent the negative effects of working under intense
pressure.
RPS urges: "Please complete the survey as soon as you can. It's anonymous, open to pharmacists in all settings including students and you don't need to be a member
of RPS to take part."
"We'll take the results of the survey to governments across Great Britain, the NHS, and wider stakeholders to advocate for improvements to support the mental health
and wellbeing of pharmacists."
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for urgent action to ensure wellbeing of pharmacists after the publication of its annual workforce survey.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the charity Pharmacist Support, revealed that 89 per cent of respondents were at high risk of burnout, showing ongoing high levels of workplace stress.
It stated that 57 per cent of respondents reported often being unable to take a rest break or were not offered a break at all.
Around 68 per cent noted weakening of their mental health and wellbeing due to work or study, and 33 per cent considered leaving the profession, indicating high
percent levels of disaffection.
Besides seeking urgent action to allow proper rest breaks for pharmacists, RPS has sought "governments, the NHS and employers to urgently address the workforce issues that are impacting pharmacists' wellbeing."
It said prioritising essential work, effective workforce planning and better access to information is needed.
Commenting on the survey report, RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said: "Our survey demonstrates the continued pressure on pharmacists and trainees across the workforce".
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support hosted a roundtable on the impact of pharmacy workforce wellbeing on patient safety on Wednesday
(17 May).
It also released its annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey which showed continued pressures on pharmacy teams.
The discussion explored the actions needed to support staff so they can continue providing safe and effective patient care and included representatives from the NHS,
professional bodies, employers, trade unions, education and regulators.
A report of the roundtable will be published in the summer.
Amandeep Doll, RPS Head of Professional Belonging, said: "We know that pharmacy teams go above and beyond for their patients, but are also under enormous pressure.
"Now more than ever, we need to strive to make the pharmacy profession more inclusive and ensure that everyone's wellbeing is supported.
"It is vital that we do all we can to encourage people into pharmacy and to support them so they can enhance their skills, develop their careers, and continue to
deliver high-quality patient care.
"This discussion was a welcome step and showed that making a difference for staff wellbeing requires a concerted effort from stakeholders across the whole of pharmacy.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is set to cease all its remaining financial investments in fossil fuels latest by the end of 2022.
The decision taken today (November 17) at the RPS Assemble, is part of the organisation's "continued drive to become an environmentally responsible organisation."
Calling it a significant move, RPS president Claire Anderson said: "RPS will divest from fossil fuels as soon as possible.
"RPS will instruct its investment managers immediately to ensure that we will be completely disinvested by the end of 2022 and hopefully sooner."
Environment and human wellbeing have always been a core consideration of RPS investment, however it was not enough to offset the negative impacts of climate change, the organisation said.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacist Support have announced a formal agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration to better support RPS
members and increase the impact of the charity.
This partnership comes after years of working closely together, and formalising it will allow both organisations to reach a wider audience and focus on supporting
the wellbeing of pharmacy professionals.
The aim of the partnership is to establish a visible link between the professional body and the independent charity to increase awareness about the two
organisations for greater focus on the support within the sector.
Along with this, the key objectives also include identifying fundraising opportunities for Pharmacist Support, and collaborating on specific wellbeing projects.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new revised RPS Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy Services at its annual conference held on
Friday (11 November).
RPS developed the standards through an extensive consultation with the profession, multidisciplinary teams and patients. They are relevant for providers of pharmacy
services in acute, mental health, private, community service, prison, hospice and ambulance settings.
The revised Standards contain two brand new descriptors - research, audit and quality improvement, and inclusion and wellbeing. Updates have been made to the
supporting statements to ensure they reflect current practice and are fit for the future. A new assessment tool has been developed to support organisations either
self-assess or peer-assess against the Standards.
"For the first time the Standards apply UK wide, having gained support from Pharmacy Forum NI, alongside endorsement from The Association of Pharmacy Technicians
UK and other professional groups," RPS said.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) England director, Ravi Sharma, has resigned after four years on the job.
He will be leaving the RPS in October to join Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, part of the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust group, as head of
pharmacy.
RPS will be commencing the recruitment of a new director for England shortly and in the interim Ravi will be working with Paul Bennett, the RPS CEO, to help in
delivery of key objectives and in the appointment of his successor.
Paul commented: "Ravi has made a significant contribution to the organisation during his time with us. His drive and enthusiasm for advancing the recognition of
the role of the Society itself and of pharmacists and professional practice is probably best reflected by his desire to ensure a real focus on personalised medicines
and his work on equality and diversity, workforce wellbeing, and most recently the development of a new vision for pharmacy in England.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called on employers, governments and NHS organisations to provide pharmacists with regular protected learning
time (PLT) within working hours to develop their skills in clinical delivery, education, research and leadership.
RPS workforce wellbeing survey showed an average 42 per cent of pharmacists were not given any PLT, a figure which rose to 55 per cent in community pharmacy. Most
were unable to engage in professional development activities as part of their working day because of their responsibility to deliver frontline clinical services to
patients.
This means learning is often undertaken outside of working hours, increasing pressure on individuals and impacting their work/life balance.
The survey showed that 48 per cent of respondents identified a lack of PLT as negatively affecting their mental health and wellbeing and that 88 per cent were at
high risk of burnout.
PLT improves the quality of patient care through professional practice and reflection, helping to develop insights, maintain and refine care standards and increase
confidence. It facilitates continuous professional development (CPD), ensuring that skills and knowledge are up to date.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (RPS) second roundtable on workforce wellbeing resulted in a series of collaborative actions to address pharmacy
professionals' mental health and wellbeing challenges.
The roundtable brought together key stakeholders from the pharmacy sector, including organisations like the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), Community
Pharmacy England (CPE), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), and the profession's independent charity Pharmacist Support (PS).
A report detailing the outcomes of the meeting was published on Friday, highlighting the key areas of discussion and the agreed-upon actions by the participants.
During the roundtable, participants discussed the importance of understanding the workforce demographics, both nationally and locally, and using data to address
wellbeing issues effectively.
They also emphasised the need for using supportive standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) quality
statement to support and empower pharmacists' wellbeing positively.
The country as a whole is facing uncertain and challenging times, and for our profession emerging from the second year of the pandemic, the pressures and
stresses don't look to be easing up. It is undeniable that the wellbeing of those in our pharmacy family has suffered and many face emotional and psychological
challenges in addition to immense workplace pressure.
What do we know about the state of wellbeing within the profession? As the profession's independent charity, it is crucial that Pharmacist Support keeps abreast of
the changing needs of the profession to enable us to meet the needs of those we are here to help. To do this, each year we collaborate with the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society (RPS) to carry out an annual Workforce Wellbeing Survey.
The last survey carried out was in the latter part of 2021 but nothing has changed since. And the results provided stark reading. Of the 1,014 responses received,
many reported living with 'poor' or 'very poor' mental health and wellbeing.
The survey results highlight a continued clear need for mental health and wellbeing support. Within the survey, it was identified that there is a very clear need for
independent assistance, with many saying they feel unable to talk to their employers about their mental health issues. The need for our charity has never been clearer.
Pharmacist Support, a charity centred on bolstering pharmacist well-being, has launched a new course to help pharmacy professionals to foster a positive and
supportive workplace culture.
The 'Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture' course is specially designed for pharmacy managers and leaders, and aims to address the unique challenges faced by
them in cultivating a healthy environment for their teams.
During the course, they will be empowered with practical strategies that can be implemented immediately, which can contribute to improved team wellbeing and
performance.
Workforce Wellbeing surveys conducted by the firm with the RPS have shown that the pressures on the pharmacy workforce continue to negatively impact on mental
health and wellbeing, Pharmacist Support Chief Executive, Danielle Hunt said.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has released findings from its fifth annual workforce wellbeing survey, which was conducted in collaboration with the
profession's charity, Pharmacist Support.
Exposing the mental health challenges faced by pharmacists, the survey revealed a troubling statistic: 86 per cent of pharmacists are at a high risk of burnout.
Inadequate staffing was the main factor contributing to burnout, followed by lack of work-life balance, insufficient protected learning time, absence of colleague
or senior support, and long working hours.
While pharmacies are encouraged to provide more clinical services, more than 60 per cent of pharmacists surveyed reported that they were not being offered
"sufficient protected learning time" to focus on their professional development and learning needs.
The survey also exposed a distressing trend of workplace abuse, with over 40 per cent of pharmacists reporting verbal abuse from the public, and 25 per cent
from colleagues or managers.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has informed the Welsh Parliament about the workforce crisis in the pharmacy sector and the need to prioritise staff well-being and training requirements to help Covid recovery plans.
Providing evidence to the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry into waiting times, the RPS director in Wales Elen Jones emphasised that the pandemic
brought the pharmacy workforce under immense pressure.
She emphasised on "the need for workforce planning that allows pharmacists enough time to learn, teach and embed new skills," which would help in maintaining a motivated and sustainable workforce.
Jones presented the evidence alongside colleagues from the Royal College of General Practitioners, Community Pharmacy Wales and the Royal College of Nursing.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Director for Scotland Clare Morrison participated in the panel discussion alongside representatives from other health
professional organisations on tackling the workforce crisis at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on 8 October.
At the conference, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care committed to achieving protected learning time for health professionals. Morrison welcomed the
Cabinet Secretary's statement as fantastic news for pharmacists across Scotland.
"RPS Scotland will follow up the discussion by writing to the Cabinet Secretary to request a meeting to discuss achieving protected learning time, the forthcoming
results of our workforce wellbeing survey, and positive examples of how pharmacy teams have improved the well-being of their teams," said the society.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the appointment of Michael Matheson MSP as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in
Scotland.
Commenting on the announcement Laura Wilson, Director of RPS Scotland, said: "I would like to congratulate Michael Matheson on being appointed to this position.
NHS recovery is vitally important, and pharmacy has a huge amount to offer this agenda.
"Our current priorities include enabling pharmacists to take leadership of prescribing in all care settings, tackling health inequalities and advocating for change,
implementing shared patient records between healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, person centred and safe patient care, improving pharmacists' wellbeing
and tackling the climate emergency by encouraging sustainable and green prescribing across Scotland.
The Scottish government has appointed Christina McKelvie MSP as the new Minister for Drugs and Alcohol policy, following the resignation of Elena
Whitham MSP due to health reasons.
In a letter to the First Minister, Whitham said she was receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress, which had "greatly" affected her wellbeing.
Commenting on the news, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland thanked Whitham for supporting them, particularly for her "efforts to bring in a new
national service to provide emergency access to supplies of naloxone."
RPS Scotland has continuously advocated for the accessibility of naloxone through all community pharmacies (for supply to people who use drugs, family, healthcare
professionals and carers), and to make it available in all clinical settings for use in emergencies.
It was also the top recommendation of their policy on Pharmacy's role in reducing harm and preventing drug deaths.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) England Chair Thorrun Govind has called for Government action to support pharmacy teams experiencing huge demand for
their services.
"Pharmacy teams are under immense pressure at the moment, in common with other NHS services, and working extremely hard with health service colleagues to provide
the right care for patients," said Govind.
"As winter pressures mount, pharmacies see increased numbers of patients seeking support with illness and also because they have heard other areas of the health
service are struggling to cope.
The society has also stated staffing pressures, alongside an increase in workload has created an extra burden which takes a toll on the wellbeing of pharmacy teams.
Govind added: "Issues such as medicine shortages can also take up many hours of time for pharmacy teams tracking down medicines when they could be directly helping
patients. In community pharmacies, rising costs and fairly static funding are adding to business pressures.
"However, pharmacies remain the most accessible part of the health service and provide expert advice to patients without the need for an appointment and are open
long hours and at weekends."
The Health Committee's new report has reminded the government of a much-needed pharmacy workforce plan to support recruitment, training, and retention of staff.
The report makes a number of recommendations to optimise workloads across primary care, reduce pressure on general practice and hospitals, and support the integrated
care systems.
It also recognises the potential of pharmacist independent prescribers to support patient care, backed by appropriate supervision, training, and opportunities for
professional development.
RPS England gave evidence to MPs on the Committee at a public hearing in May, highlighting key issues to support the pharmacy workforce.
RPS director for England, Ravi Sharma, said: "Today's report underlines the urgent need for the Government to set out a comprehensive workforce plan for health and
care.
"It rightly recognises that boosting recruitment and retention, supporting staff wellbeing, fostering inclusion and diversity, and investing in education and
training will be crucial to the future of the NHS.
The Professional Pharmacists Association (PDA) has demanded efforts to secure greater support and recognition for community pharmacists from governmental
bodies.
In its written evidence provided to the Health and Social Care select committee's pharmacy inquiry, the PDA raised concerns about the well-being of pharmacists,
specifically for those who belong to minority ethnic groups and race and are subjected to bullying, harassment, and ill-treatment.
The association highlighted issues in the workplace that impact pharmacists' health and well-being, including chronic understaffing, sub-standard working
environments, an absence of protected training time, and experiences of racism, violence, and abuse.
Parallel to the PDA's advocacy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is intensifying calls for prioritising workforce wellbeing within the pharmacy domain.
Stressing the pivotal role of workforce retention in addressing current challenges, RPS emphasises the need for robust support mechanisms and equitable access
to mental health services.