The BAME Pharmacists Network of the Pharmacists' Defence Association has elected three women pharmacists as it's new officials.
Following the network's second set of elections since its launch in April 2020, Sima Hassan has been elected as president, Wai Chan Lau her deputy and Osariemen
Egharevba-Buckman as honorary secretary.
A community pharmacist for over 18 years and an academic, Ms Hassan will take over from outgoing president Elsy Gomez Campos who saw through the work of the network
during a very difficult period in the midst of a global pandemic.
Ms Hassan has been a prominent member of the BAME pharmacist community. She recognises and appreciates the complexities of issues that BAME pharmacists face and the
scope for work that needs to done for wider recognition.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association's anti-racist pharmacy toolkit was launched at the 2022 Clinical Pharmacy Congress.
The event also included a demonstration of how members could use the toolkit to work together to address inequality and discrimination in their workplace.
Elsy Gomez Campos, president of the PDA BAME Pharmacists' Network, gave an overview of issues raised by network members as well as broader professional issues
including over-representation of BAME pharmacists in fitness to practice complaints, under-representation of BAME pharmacists in leadership roles, limited access
to post-graduate education, and bullying and discrimination in the workplace.
She concluded her opening statement by reminding members of what an exemplary pharmacy profession should look like which is about "being treated fairly and being
offered the same opportunities to those that do not look like us."
Manuella Asso, organising assistant and PDA BAME Pharmacists' Network coordinator, explained that the toolkit for was representatives, members, and other pharmacists
to assess their workplaces and to help them take collective action to create an anti-racist workplace culture and environment.