The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has outlined its plans to examine and understand workplace pressures affecting pharmacy professionals across the sector. 

The issue of workplace pressure in different pharmacy settings and companies has been reported recently in the national and pharmacy press, following a survey by the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA).

The GPhC’s first step will be to hold an event in October to bring together people from inside and outside pharmacy to consider the roles that different organisations and individuals can play to tackle the issue. The regulator will also meet with various stakeholders, including pharmacy owners, to gain an understanding of the range of support offered to professional staff. 

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin, said: “We recognise that pharmacy professionals working in a wide variety of roles and settings will experience significant challenges in trying to provide high quality care to patients and the public while dealing with limited resources or other workplace pressures.

“It is important that everyone involved works to ensure that a balance is struck which protects and promotes the health and wellbeing of patients and the public, empowers pharmacy professionals to work with service users to make good decisions about care and enables companies to pursue legitimate business interests
in an ethical way.”