The agreed aim of the round table discussion was to work collaboratively to develop and embed inclusive pharmacy professional practice into everyday care for patients and members of the public, to support the prevention of ill-health and address health inequalities within our diverse communities.
Discussed topics included many aspects of equality and diversity ranging from examinations of variation in prescribing patterns linked to areas of high deprivation and ethnic diversity, through to personal experiences of BAME pharmacists and initiatives undertaken by third sector workers to ensure that health services reach all parts of the community.
This was followed by workshops that allowed attendees to discuss the presentation content and then feedback to the whole group. Key themes from the discussion were shared and it was agreed that a statement about committing to inclusive pharmacy professional practice would be drafted and then circulated to attendees for comment and amendments before publication.
The PDA was pleased to be involved in the development of this statement committing the pharmacy profession to ensuring that inclusive pharmacy professional practice permeates all aspects of care for patients and members of the public. We would encourage our members to embrace the principles in the statement.
The principles that are included, are as follows:
- We will strive towards pharmacy professionals being an exemplar among UK health professionals for equality, diversity, inclusion, fairness and belonging.
- We will commit as professionals to value all people and to adopt and promote a culture of zero tolerance to all kinds of harassment, bullying and discrimination in the workplace.
- We will proactively seek to learn and understand communities and cultures so that we can be more effective health and care practitioners and providers.
- We will champion national and local policies and initiatives to address health and workforce inequalities.
Download the full document here
The first national round table meeting on inclusive pharmacy professional practice was held on 5 August 2020.