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The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has called on pharmacy employers and pharmacists organisations to make donations towards the Pharmacist Support charity in the new year. The association has urged them to donate £1 per pharmacist employee or member to the charity group to increase its funding from 2022 onwards. Pharmacist Support, an independent charity, provides a variety of support services to pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists and pharmacy students in Great Britain. It provides support through twelve sessions of fully funded counselling topharmacists, students, or trainees. Since 2018, the association has donated more than £150,000 to the charity, in turn supporting its members who additionally seek assistance from Pharmacist Support.

Pharmacist Support, a charity centred on bolstering pharmacist well-being, has launched the 'ACTNow' campaign 2023, aimed at promoting and supporting the health and overall wellbeing of pharmacists. This campaign is launched following the successful 2022 initiative, which heightened awareness about wellbeing in the pharmacy profession. Launched in May 2020 in response to COVID-19 challenges, ACTNow has transformed into a dynamic platform fostering positive workplace culture, teamwork, and individual well-being, Pharmacist Support has said. Its primary goals are to inspire individuals and teams in the profession to prioritise their well-being, support colleagues, and proactively foster a healthier work environment. Pharmacist Support emphasised that the 2023 ACTNow campaign will continue to prioritise fostering a positive workplace culture. "This year, the campaign will provide individuals, pharmacy teams, and employers with essential tools, resources, and strategies to effectively support colleagues dealing with distress, all while cultivating a growth-oriented mindset within their teams," the charity firm said.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) is playing a vital role in helping pharmacists who are dealing with stress at the workplace. It launched its new awareness factsheet 'It's Time to Address Stress' last week. The factsheet looks at the causes and symptoms of stress in the workplace and provides advice on ways pharmacists can access support and improve working conditions. The association said that it recognises the well-being services offered by employers and specialist charities such as the PDA's charity partner Pharmacist Support play an important part in helping pharmacists who may be experiencing stress. However, the PDA is also committed to working with members to challenge employers to provide well workplaces and to help them to make real impact changes. This can be done by addressing the causes of stress and fulfilling their responsibilities to their employees. It added: "Under the management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required by law to protect employees from harm. Their legal obligations include identifying hazards and risks and implementing ways to reduce or eliminate them. The PDA's new factsheet highlights the importance of employers recognising the hazards causing stress as the health and safety issues they are."

Trainee pharmacists across Great Britain are preparing to participate in Pharmacist Support's annual Trainee ACTNow Wellbeing Campaign, scheduled from May 20th to 24th. Organised by the charity, this initiative aims to provide essential support as trainees approach the culmination of their placements and gear up for the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) assessment. Danielle Hunt, Chief Executive of Pharmacist Support, highlighted the campaign's focus on addressing the significant stress and pressure trainees may experience during this critical period. She stated: "We understand the anxiety and pressure they may feel, not only in preparing for the assessment but also in stepping into their roles as registered pharmacists."

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 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 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.

As part of its centenary celebrations, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised more than eleven thousand pounds for mental health charity Mind. A total of £11,583 was raised for Mind and the Association continues to encourage members to support the charity. The NPA marked its 100th birthday in 2021 and partnered with Mind in England and Wales, and equivalent charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland - SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and Inspire Wellbeing - to raise awareness of pharmacy services for people with mental health problems and to generate funds for the work of these charities. The NPA held set-piece events, such as sponsored walks, and pharmacists, colleagues and their families and friends were encouraged to organise their own activities. Chief executive of the NPA, Mark Lyonette, said: "I was delighted to be at our sponsored walk in St Albans, home of our head office, last year. This and other fundraising events all underlined the message that community pharmacies are concerned with the wellbeing of the whole person - mind as well as body."

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.

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.

Independent charity group, Pharmacist Support has appointed five new trustees to its board - David Downham, Karen Harrowing, Mohammed Hussain, Mala Khiroya, and Alison Scowcroft, for a term of three years. The new recruits will join the existing Board members Anita Cawley, Catherine Harper, Paul Johnson, Steve Lutener, Esther Sadler-Williams, Mark Sweeney and Sarah Willis. Harrowing, Downham and Hussain have begun their 3-year term in January 2022, while Scowcroft and Khiroya would join the board in June. The new appointments are in line with the Charity's plans, announced last year, to enhance its volunteer schemes. "Since the launch of the charity's new strategy in January 2020, the profession has been faced with many new challenges. We are really proud of the work we have done in the last few years to address some of these challenges," said Pharmacist Support chief executive Danielle Hunt.

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 Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has made the its 'Education revision programme' accessible for new registrations who are preparing for the GPhC/PSNI November 2022 assessment. The programme offers a wide range of practice calculations questions, some mock exams, practical tips on revision, and an opportunity to chat to other PDA members who are preparing to sit the assessment. PDA's charity partners, Pharmacist Support also offer a range of options including- Counselling and peer support; Financial support; A listening friend service and Addiction support. Candidates can also access the Wardley Wellbeing Service here. This is a resource to help candidates to prioritise their mental, physical and emotional health through individual and group training. The PDA has also reminded all candidates that there have been some changes made by the GPhC to address problems that occurred in the June 2022 sitting.

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.