Advocate for yourself – Celebrating International Women’s Day

By Amandeep Doll

Advocating for yourself is about knowing your worth and ensuring that your voice is heard in every aspect of your professional journey.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #acceleratechange, which inspired a recent event at Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), ‘Advocating for Yourself’, which highlighted the importance of accelerating change for gender equity in pharmacy.

RPS President Professor Claire Anderson opened the event for attendees both in person and online.

RPS President Professor Claire Anderson

The event celebrated the strength and achievements of women from diverse backgrounds and sectors of pharmacy, featuring inspiring voices and empowering stories. Alongside Pharmacy Business Magazine, RPS was delighted to co-host the event in partnership with some brilliant organisations doing fantastic work in this area:

• Association of Pharmacy Technicians
• British Pharmaceutical Students Association
• Female Pharmacy Leaders Network
• Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists
• Pharmacy Technicians of Colour
• UK Black Pharmacists Association

Workshop: Advocating for Ourselves

Samantha Quaye, co-founder of Pharmacy Technicians of Colour, kicked off the event, leading a workshop aimed at empowering attendees with skills and knowledge of how to have potentially tricky or difficult conversations with employers and line managers. Topics included negotiating pay, asking for flexible working patterns and requesting reasonable adjustments.

Samantha Quaye

Two experienced pharmacists, Zahra Al-Momen, Professional Engagement Lead for North of England and Scotland at the RPS, who has significant experience as a locum in community pharmacy, and Binta Patel, a community pharmacist with a long term condition working in Boots, shared their insights. Key advice included:

• When you’re starting to locum, it is important to research locum rates before accepting shifts. This includes speaking to more experienced pharmacists in your networks.
• Do not sell yourself short and accept the first offer to prevent being locked into a lower rate
• Newly qualified pharmacists should confidently ask for the same rate as more experienced pharmacists. You are the responsible pharmacist for that shift regardless of experience.
• You are in control. Do not accept rates you find too low.
• Consider negotiating other things such lunch, travel and parking.
• Don’t be shy in selling yourself! Highlight your skills and expertise to justify your rate
• Make sure you know your rights! Have a look at the organisations polices and guidance to see where you stand.
• When requesting flexible working, consider what you need and also what the organisation needs.
• Prepare for a reasonable adjustment request by knowing what you require and your line manager and or organisation should work with you to see what is possible to achieve.

The workshop also discussed how best to have these conversations in the workplace as well as the right time to broach them. Importantly, you should also know when to step away from a role if you’re not being valued. It’s OK to leave and move to another role or organisation where you do feel valued.

Panel session: What does advocating for yourself look like in practice

This inspiring panel session was chaired by Erica Agyei-Bekoe, a third-year pharmacy student and Competitions Coordinator from the BPSA, and featured:

• Shola Adesegun, Lead Aseptic Pharmacy Technician, United Lincolnshire Hospitals
• Karen Baxter, Managing Director, Pharmaceutical Press & Deputy CEO, RPS
• Natasha Callender, Head of Medicines Optimisation – Safety, Quality and Governance NHS North East London
• Emma Hall, Lead Pharmacy Technician - Medicine Safety, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
• Shilpa Shah, Community Pharmacist and LPC Chief Executive North East London
• Victoria Steele, Director, Steelier Ltd

The panel members shared their experiences of how they advocated for themselves in their pharmacy careers. Key take home messages included:

• Don’t compare yourself to others! Everyone achieves things at their own pace – there is no correct timeframe to achieve your goals.
• You can’t change everything all at once! Identify small steps to get towards your goals.
• Allyship, especially among women, is powerful. Support each other in the workplace.
• Don’t be afraid to take a step back if you need to take some time to figure out your next steps.
• Advocating for yourself includes understanding the power of silence. Sometimes it’s about knowing when to take a step back and remove yourself from unhelpful situations.

The event was filled with amazing women and supportive male allies. It was that while there will be ups and downs, having advocates, supporters, mentors and friends is crucial. Events like these matter, they’re empowering, creating connections and a sense of community and they help us to grow personally and professionally.

Amandeep Doll, Head of Professional Belonging and Engagement, Royal Pharmaceutical Society.