Two national pharmacy bodies have teamed up to create a website dedicated to making a positive noise about pharmacy’s frontline response to the coronavirus crisis.
Creators of the hub – Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and National Pharmacy Association (NPA) – want to maximise the recently intensified media interest in pharmacy to reinforce key messages and help spread the #pharmacyheroes conversation to a much wider audience.
The website aims to make it easier for pharmacy teams to tell their story directly to the media. It provides pharmacy and Local Pharmaceutical Committee teams with a platform from which they can report and share their positive experiences and incidents of going ‘above and beyond.’
It also includes templates to base personalised newspaper columns and letters to MPs on as well as links to media and lobbying resources for LPCs accross the UK.
PSNC Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Zoe Long, said: “The more recognition we can get in the media for community pharmacy’s role in the COVID-19 response the better. We’d like as many people as possible to hear about how community pharmacy teams are regularly doing amazing work to help their patients and local communities.
“LPCs are already championing local pharmacies and initiatives; the national pharmacy organisations are continuing to contribute to media articles; and we hope that this shared website will help everyone in the sector to continue to shout about the #pharmacyheroes in their area.”
NPA Head of Communications, Stephen Fishwick, said: “We want the positive noise about pharmacy’s valiant contribution to continue, and to get across to the public what to expect of pharmacies at this time, plus the importance of treating pharmacy staff with courtesy and understanding.
