The Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm) is backing a new NHS England campaign from 5–25 October aimed at encouraging the public to treat pharmacy teams with respect and recognising the vital role they play in delivering care in local communities.
All pharmacies need to participate in the campaign, and pharmacy owners should display posters at the pharmacy or provide information on the pharmacy’s website or on its social media channels.
The college said that community pharmacy teams play an essential role in supporting patients and ensuring safe access to medicines, and measures should be taken to protect the wellbeing of the pharmacy workforce.
RCPharm Director for England Amandeep Doll recently highlighted on BBC Morning Live the growing levels of abuse and aggression faced by community pharmacy teams across the country.
During the interview, she explained how pressures across the wider health service, coupled with ongoing medicines shortages, can leave patients feeling frustrated.
She described how pharmacy teams often bear the brunt of this, despite working hard to help people access the care and medicines they need, stressing that abuse towards pharmacy staff is never acceptable.
Doll also highlighted the RCPharm’s call for the government to give pharmacists greater flexibility to make appropriate substitutions when prescribed medicines are unavailable, helping patients receive treatment more quickly and reducing unnecessary delays.
Community pharmacy teams play an essential role in supporting patients and ensuring safe access to medicines. The College continues to call for measures to protect the wellbeing of the pharmacy workforce.
Community Pharmacy England Director of Research and Insights Dr James Davies said: “We were pleased to be able to get agreement in the CPCF negotiations to our proposal that respect for pharmacy teams would be the focus of a national health campaign. Our recent press work has highlighted that violence and abuse in community pharmacies is increasing, and this campaign will draw further national attention to this important issue.
“Pharmacy teams work incredibly hard to provide vital care for their communities, and they deserve to feel safe and respected while doing so. The campaign is another opportunity to help reinforce the message that abusive or threatening behaviour towards pharmacy staff is never acceptable.”
